tilt  GlmiUuUryi 


<0* 


sSb 


PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


Purchased  by  the  Mary  Cheves  Dulles  Fund. 


Division 


F2  Z 17 
= Z £ 


Section • 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
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THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S 
SOUTHLAND 


Books  by  J.  A.  Zahm 

(H.  J.  Mozans) 

Through  South  America’s 
Southland 

Up  the  Orinoco  and  Down 
the  Magdalena 

Along  the  Andes  and  Down 
the  Amazon 

Woman  in  Science 


D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 

Publishers  New  York 


190 


The  Author  and  Colonel  Roosevelt  in  the  Brazilian  Wilderness. 


FOLLOWING  THE  CON  QU I ST  ADORES 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S 
SOUTHLAND 


WITH  AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  ROOSEVELT 
SCIENTIFIC  EXPEDITION  TO  SOUTH  AMERICA 


BY 

THE  REVEREND  J.  A.  ZAHM,  C.S.C.,  Ph.D. 

(H.  J.  MOZANS) 


AUTHOR  OP  “UP  THE  ORINOCO  AND  DOWN  THE  MAGDALENA,”  “ALONG 
THE  ANDES  AND  DOWN  THE  AMAZON,”  “ THE  QUEST  OP 
EL  DORADO,”  “WOMAN  IN  SCIENCE,”  ETC. 


SIXTY-FIVE  ILLUSTRATIONS 


NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 
D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 
1916 


COPYBIGHT,  1916,  BY 
R.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


IN 

SANCTA • CRVCE 
PARI  • NOBILI  • FRATRVM 
REVERENDIS  • DILECTISQVE 
IACOBO  • ALOISIO  • BVRNS 
AC 

IOANNI  • GVLIELMO  • CAVANAVGH 
HOC  • OPVS 

AMICITI^E  • TESTIMONIVM 
D D D • 


1 have  passed  manye  landes  and  manye  yles  and  contrees, 
and  cherched  manye  fulle  straunge  places,  and  have  hen 
in  manye  a fulle  gode  honourable  companye.  Now  I am 
comen  home  to  reste.  And  thus  recordynge  the  tyme 
passed , I have  fulfilled  these  thynges  and  putte  hem  ivryten 
in  this  hoke,  as  it  woulde  come  into  my  mynde. 

Sir  John  Maundeville. 


FOREWORD 


It  is  now  three  and  thirty  years  since  duty  first  led  me  to  our 
sister  republic  of  Mexico.  The  interest  which  I had  previously 
felt  in  the  achievements  of  the  Conquistadores  was  greatly  en- 
hanced by  my  sojourn  among  their  descendants,  in  the  valley  of 
Anahuac,  and  has  since  continued  to  grow  with  the  passing  years. 

Since  this  first  visit  to  Mexico,  other  duties  coupled  with  special 
research  in  the  religious,  educational  and  social  condition  of  the 
peoples  of  Latin  America  have  led  to  my  following  in  the  foot- 
steps of  the  Conquistadores  from  the  Strait  of  Juan  de  Fuca  to 
the  arid  plains  of  Patagonia  and  from  the  source  of  the  Amazon, 
in  the  Peruvian  Cordillera,  to  its  broad  estuary  four  thousand 
miles  distant.  Thus,  through  a strange  combination  of  circum- 
stances, I have  been 

“A  palmer,  as  ye  se, 

Whiche  of  my  lyfe  much  part  have  spent 
In  many  a fayre  and  farre  cuntrie, 

As  pilgrims  do  of  good  intent.” 

An  account  of  some  of  my  long  peregrinations  has  been  given 
in  my  two  previous  books,  “Up  the  Orinoco  and  Down  the  Mag- 
dalena’’ and  “Along  the  Andes  and  Down  the  Amazon.”1  The 
present  work  completes  the  trilogy  which  I had  in  contemplation 
when,  nearly  a decade  ago,  I began  the  first  volume  of  the  series 
bearing  the  general  title  of  “Following  the  Conquistadores.” 

It  was  my  good  fortune,  when  about  to  start  on  my  last  journey 
to  the  southern  continent,  to  be  able  to  enlist  Colonel  Roosevelt’s 
interest  in  the  wilds  of  South  America.  In  the  first  of  the  fol- 
lowing chapters  I have  given  a brief  account  of  the  origin  and 
organization  of  our  expedition — an  expedition  which  gradually 
developed  from  a small  band  into  a large  company  of  nearly 

1 Published  under  the  pseudonym  of  H.  J.  Mozans. 

vii 


FOREWORD 


two  score  persons  and  which  has  since  become  known  as  “The 
Roosevelt  Scientific  Expedition  to  South  America.” 

The  scientific  results  of  this  expedition  have  been  given  by  my 
distinguished  associate  in  his  interesting  work,  “Through  the 
Brazilian  Wilderness.”  For  this  reason,  I have  in  the  present 
volume  confined  myself,  almost  entirely,  to  a narrative  of  the  in- 
cidents of  our  journey  and  a description  of  the  places  which  we 
visited  together.  In  this,  as  in  my  preceding  books  on  South 
America,  I have  had  little  to  say  of  the  material,  political  or 
economic  conditions  of  the  countries  through  which  we  journeyed. 
These  subjects  have  frequently  been  discussed  by  statisticians  and 
specialists.  My  interests  have  been  rather  in  the  history,  the 
poetry  and  the  romance  of  the  places  visited.  For,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Spain,  the  motherland  of  the  great  explorers  of,  and  ad- 
venturers in  so  much  of  the  Western  Hemisphere,  there  is  no  land 
in  the  world  which  is  so  glamouring  as  that  vast  region  which 
witnessed  the  brilliant  feats  of  arms  and  the  marvelous  achieve- 
ments of  a Cortes,  a Quesada,  a Pizarro,  a Valdivia,  an  Alvar  Nunez 
Cabeza  de  Vaca.  Nor  is  there  another  land  which  casts  such  a 
spell  on  the  traveler  who  has  read  the  life  story  of  these  marvelous 
men  whose  ardent  vitality  and  generous  enthusiasm  impelled  them 
to  undertake  and  to  achieve  what  less  courageous  natures  would 
have  deemed  impossible. 

They  were  indeed  makers  of  history  such  as  have  been  but  few 
men  in  the  annals  of  our  race.  For  tear  out  from  the  chronicles 
of  discovery  the  pages  on  which  are  recorded  the  epoch-making 
achievements  of  a Balboa,  an  Orellana,  a Cabeza  de  Vaca  and 
how  much  would  you  detract  from  Spanish  fame  and  prestige? 
Blot  out  from  history  the  names  of  the  Conquistadores  of  Mexico, 
of  New  Granada,  of  Peru,  of  El  Rio  de  la  Plata,  who  have  em- 
blazoned with  such  brilliant  colors  the  armorial  bearings  of  Castile 
and  Leon,  and  how  much  would  be  wanting  to  the  completeness 
of  the  glory  of  the  land  of  Isabella  and  Saint  Teresa,  of  Calderon 
and  Lope  de  Vega?  How  is  not  the  spirit  stirred  within  one  who 
reads  the  exultant  proclamation  of  the  proud  discoverer  of  the 
Pacific:  “I,  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa,  for  the  royal  crowm  of 

Castile  do  take  possession  of  all  these  waters  and  shores,  islands 
and  firm  land,  and  all  therein,  peoples  and  possessions,  beasts, 
birds  and  fishes,  gold  and  silver,  pearls  and  precious  stones,  the 

viii 


FOREWORD 


same  forever  to  defend.”  The  glory  of  acquisition,  the  pride  of 
possession,  the  assurance  of  humanity’s  greatness,  all  are  expressed 
in  these  thrilling  words  which  enunciate  not  the  vainglory  of  an 
individual  but  rather  the  power,  the  majesty,  the  supremacy  of 
an  empire  on  which  the  sun  never  sets. 

It  was  Cicero  who  declared  that  “to  be  in  ignorance  of  what 
occurred  before  one’s  birth,  is  to  live  ever  in  a state  of  childhood.” 
These  words  have  always  seemed  to  me  to  apply  also  to  the  unread 
traveler  who  visits  those  noted  cities  and  scenes  of  South  America 
which  have  been  the  theaters  of  some  of  the  most  chivalrous  deeds 
and  inspiriting  episodes  in  the  annals  of  discovery  and  conquest. 
The  view  of  the  great  Roman  orator  is  particularly  pertinent 
when  there  is  question  of  such  historic  cities  as  Bogota,  Quito, 
Lima,  Cuzco,  Asuncion,  and  Santiago  de  Chile,  or  of  such  famous 
ruins  as  those  of  Pachacamac,  Tiahuanaco  and  the  Great  Chimu. 
For  the  chief  interest  in  these  places  centers  not  in  their  material 
evidences  of  wealth  and  power,  but  in  the  legends  and  traditions 
which  have  gathered  about  them  and  the  atmosphere  of  romance 
and  mystery  in  which  they  have  been  enveloped  during  so  many 
centuries. 

To  many  Spanish  America  has  been  little  more  than  a land  of 
revolutions,  of  self-seeking  caudillos,  of  Quixotic  adventurers,  of 
soulless  tyrants,  of 

“Cloaked  shapes,  the  twanging  of  guitars, 

A lush  of  feet,  and  rapiers  clashing,” — 

a land  in  which  every  man,  as  Don  Adriano  de  Arinado,  in  “Love’s 
Labor’s  Lost,” 

“Hath  a mint  of  phrases  in  his  brain, 

One  whom  the  music  of  his  own  tongue 
Doth  ravish  like  enchanting  harmony.” 

There  was  a time,  no  doubt,  when  this  view  expressed  a 
modicum  of  truth.  But  this  was  during  the  long  period  of  dis- 
order and  anarchy  which  followed  the  separation  of  the  colonies 
from  the  mother  country ; while  their  inhabitants  were  slowly 
learning  the  art  of  self-government;  while  they  were  gradually 
enlisting  the  interest  and  seeking  the  cooperation  of  foreign  capi- 
talists and  foreign  engineers  for  the  development  of  the  bound- 


IX 


FOREWORD 


less  natural  resources  of  soil  and  mine.  With  the  advent  of  capital, 
the  establishment  of  great  steamship  lines  and  the  building  of  a 
network  of  railroads  over  vast  areas,  conditions  have  so  changed 
for  the  better,  that  in  some  of  the  southern  republics  war  and 
revolution  are  almost  as  rare  as  in  our  own  country. 

One  of  the  best  guarantees  of  stable  government  in  South 
America’s  Southland  is  the  billions  of  dollars  invested  there  by 
English,  French  and  German  capitalists.  It  is  these  billions  that 
have  contributed  so  materially  not  only  towards  the  development 
of  all  kinds  of  industries  but  also  towards  the  establishment  of 
enduring  peace. 

Another  factor  making  for  general  tranquillity  is  the  millions 
of  immigrants  who  have  flocked  into  this  part  of  South  America 
during  the  last  half  century.  Most  of  these  were  sturdy,  honest, 
peace-loving  people  of  the  laboring  classes  who  had  left  the  con- 
gested regions  of  Europe  in  order  to  establish  a home  for  them- 
selves and  children  in  the  broad  and  fertile  lands  of  Brazil, 
Uruguay,  Chile  and  Argentina.  Under  the  aegis  of  peace,  they 
have  prospered  in  a manner  that  would  have  been  quite  impossible 
in  the  land  of  their  birth.  Men  who,  but  a few  decades  ago,  landed 
in  Buenos  Aires  with  little  more  than  the  clothes  they  wore  are 
now  prominent  in  every  department  of  trade  and  industry. 
Among  them  are  not  a few  multi-millionaires — some  of  them  of 
great  business  capacity  and  rare  executive  ability — just  the  kind 
of  men  needed  for  developing  the  great  natural  resources  of  the 
country  of  their  adoption  and  for  establishing  its  various  indus- 
tries on  a basis  of  assured  success — present  and  future. 

But  that  which,  more  than  anything  else,  impresses  the  traveler 
in  South  America — especially  in  the  southern  part  of  the  conti- 
nent— is  the  remarkable  fusion  of  races  which  is  everywhere  ob- 
servable. This,  like  foreign  investments  and  heavy  immigration 
from  all  parts  of  Europe,  is  likewise  an  agency  making  for  peace 
and  prosperity  and  is,  probably,  more  potent  and  effective  than 
any  other  force  whatever.  Here  we  find  English,  Germans,  French, 
Italians,  Russians,  Poles,  Swiss,  Spaniards,  Portuguese,  Irish, 
Scandinavians,  Turks,  and  representatives  of  divers  other  na- 
tionalities, all  living  and  working  together  and  all  becoming  loyal 
citizens  in  the  country  in  which  they  have  their  house  and  hearth. 

The  experiment  of  the  blending  of  the  nations  in  South  Amer- 

x 


FOREWORD 


ica’s  Southland  has  not  been  unlike  that  in  our  own  land.  The 
literature  and  the  men  of  many  nations,  of  England,  of  France, 
of  Italy,  of  Germany — not  to  speak  of  those  of  other  lands — have 
gradually,  but  inevitably  led  to  a modification  of  the  original 
Spanish  and  Portuguese  stock  and  to  the  evolution  of  new  peoples 
with  new  ideals  and  new  aspirations.  This  is  particularly  ob- 
servable in  Argentina — the  present  great  melting-pot  of  the  Euro- 
pean races  in  South  America.  Here,  as  in  our  own  country,  these 
many  and  diverse  elements  are  fused  into  one  people — a people 
which,  despite  present  differences  and  antagonisms  of  some  of  its 
constituents,  will  in  a few  generations  be  as  distinctive  and  as 
united  in  purpose  as  any  nation  under  the  sun. 

And,  as  in  the  United  States,  the  tongue  of  Milton  and  Shakes- 
peare and  Newman  is  the  common  language  of  the  republic,  so, 
in  the  lands  of  the  Conquistadores,  is  the  majestic  speech  of  Cer- 
vantes, Juan  Varela  and  Luis  de  Leon — a speech  declared  by  Charles 
V to  be  el  idioma  de  los  dioses — the  language  of  the  gods — the  pre- 
vailing tongue.  And  notwithstanding  the  great  flood  of  immi- 
grants that  continue  yearly  to  pour  into  the  ports  of  Buenos  Aires, 
Montevideo  and  Valparaiso,  Spanish  will  continue  to  be  in  the 
future  as  in  the  past  the  language  of  what  were  once  the  great 
colonial  possessions  of  the  Spanish  monarchs. 

That  the  era  of  revolutions  in  the  southern  part  of  South 
America  is  practically  past;  that  the  despotism  of  self-appointed 
caudillos  is  no  longer  to  be  feared ; that  pronunciamientos  of  am- 
bitious military  chieftains  are  now  rarely  taken  seriously  is 
evinced  not  only  by  the  rapid  development  of  commerce  and  in- 
dustry, but  also — and  especially — by  the  attention  which  is  every- 
where given  to  science  and  art  and  literature ; by  the  magnificent 
institutions  of  learning,  the  well-equipped  laboratories,  the  at- 
tractive art  galleries  which  grace  all  the  large  cities ; by  the  count- 
less historical,  literary  and  scientific  societies  whose  publications 
are  prized  by  scholars  the  world  over ; by  the  all-powerful  press, 
as  illustrated  by  the  great  dailies  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  Buenos  Aires 
and  Santiago  de  Chile.  But  the  best  assurance  of  stable  govern- 
ment in  South  America’s  Southland  is  that  the  great  majority  of 
the  people  ardently  desire  peace  and  quickly  resent  actions  and  in- 
fluences that  tend  to  disturb  the  tranquillity  of  their  homes  or  im- 
pede the  growth  of  the  country  in  which  they  have  staked  their  all. 


xi 


FOREWORD 


The  character  of  the  people  in  South  America  has,  it  is  true, 
suffered  an  eclipse,  but  this  is  only  temporary.  Their  dignity, 
their  forcefulness,  their  independence,  their  desire  to  emulate  the 
achievements  of  their  forebears  of  the  famed  Iberian  Peninsula, 
are  beginning  to  assert  themselves  in  a way  that  augurs  well  for 
the  future  and  which  promises  great  things  for  civilization  and 
culture.  The  Latin  peoples  under  the  Southern  Cross  have  never 
forgotten  their  noble  lineage,  or  the  achievements  of  their  an- 
cestors when  Spain  and  Portugal  were  the  great  world-powers; 
when  their  argosies  were  seen  on  every  sea ; when  Isabella  ruled 
and  Saint  Teresa  penned  her  wonderful  books;  when  Camoens 
sang  and  Cervantes  delighted  king  and  peasant ; when  Murillo 
and  Velasquez  produced  their  matchless  canvases;  when  Columbus 
and  Vasco  da  Gama  lifted  the  veils  which  had  so  long  hung  over 
the  eastern  and  the  western  seas,  and  banished  forever  the  terrors 
of  the  Sea  of  Darkness  and  the  Cape  of  Storms ; when  the  Con- 
quistadores,  by  chivalric  deeds  and  matchless  achievements,  showed 
themselves  the  worthy  successors  of  Bernardo  del  Carpio  and  El 
Cid  Campeador. 

The  spirit  of  Latin  America  may  be  likened  to  the  waters  of 
the  Guadiana,  which,  after  flowing  for  some  distance  underground, 
return  again  to  the  surface.  Santa  Teresa — that  rarely  gifted 
nun  whose  admirable  works  are  among  the  classics  of  Spanish 
literature — tells  of  the  vitality  and  potency  of  this  spirit ; of  its 
ability  to  rise  triumphant  above  all  adversity  and  regain  by  noble 
achievements  its  once  high  estate,  when  in  subtle  verse  she  de- 
clares that 

Tiene  tan  divinas  mafias 
Que  en  un  tan  acerbo  trance 
Sale  triunfando  del  lance 
Obrando  grandes  hazafias. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  Origin  and  Organization  of  Our  Expedition  . . . 1 

II.  In  the  Cradle  of  the  Deep 15 

III.  Brazil’s  Oldest  Capital 31 

IV.  South  America’s  City  Beautiful 47 

Y.  Among  the  Progressive  Paulistas 83 

VI.  In  Semi-tropical  Brazil 103 

VII.  Uruguay  and  the  Uruguayans 125 

VIII.  Santa  Maria  de  Buenos  Aires 146 

IX.  The  Argentine  Pampa 173 

X.  Along  the  Southern  Frontier  of  the  Old  Inca  Empire  200 

XI.  The  Learned  City 224 

XII.  Famous  Scenes  and  Victories 245 

XIII.  Santiago  del  Nuevo  Extremo 275 

XIV.  In  Famed  Araucania 305 

XV.  Myths  and  Marvels  of  Mountain,  Lake  and  Plain  . 331 

XVI.  Motoring  in  Patagonia 365 

XVII.  In  Guaraniland 385 

XVIII.  On  the  Storied  Paraguay 414 

XIX.  The  Home  of  Birds  and  Palms 448 

XX.  Journeying  in  the  Jungle 472 

Bibliography 503 

Index 509 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


The  Author  and  Colonel  Roosevelt  in  the  Brazilian  Wilder- 


ness   Frontispiece 

FACING  PAGE 

The  route  followed  by  the  Author  through  South  America’s 

Southland 1 

Bahia  seen  from  the  harbor 36 

Largo  Costa  Alves.  Bahia 36 

Guanabara  Palace 58 

Avenida  Beira  Mar.  Rio  de  Janeiro  .....  58 

View  of  Rio  de  Janeiro  and  Guanabara  Bay  from  summit  of 

Corcovado 74 

Museum  of  Ypiranga.  Sao  Paulo 86 

Ecclesiastical  seminary.  Sao  Paulo 86 

Drying  mate  and  preparing  it  for  shipment  ....  118 

Porto  Alegre 118 

Harbor  of  Montevideo  with  the  Cerro  in  the  distance  . . 138 

Cathedral  of  Montevideo 138 

The  Founding  of  Buenos  Aires  by  Juan  de  Garay  . . 142 

Museum  of  La  Plata 142 

Cathedral.  Buenos  Aires 152 

Tomb  of  San  Martin  in  the  Cathedral.  Buenos  Aires  . . 152 

Estancia  Pereyra  Iraola  near  Buenos  Aires  ....  186 

Harvesting  Wheat  in  the  Pampa 186 

Two  rival  payadores  in  a poetical  tournament  . . . 194 

Gaucho  homes 194 

Case  de  Independencia.  Tucuman 214 

Native  fruit  market  in  western  Argentina  ....  214 

Cathedral  of  Cordoba 236 

Statue  of  Fray  Fernando  Trejo  Sanabria  in  the  court  of  the 

University,  Cordoba 236 


xv 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PACING  PAGE 

Statue  of  Dean  Funes  in  Cordoba 236 

Cristo  Redentor 268 

Vineyard  near  Mendoza 268 

Santa  Lucia 282 

Art  Gallery.  Santiago 282 

Araucanian  village 326 

Araucanian  mother  and  child 326 

Araucanian  woman  carrying  child  in  papoose  frame  . . 326 

Mount  Osorno  with  Lake  Llanquihue  in  the  foreground  . . 346 

Lago  Frio  with  Tronador  in  the  distance  ....  346 

Bariloche  and  Lake  Nahuelhuapi 368 

Transporting  merchandise  in  Patagonia 368 

Ruins  of  churches  of  the  reductions  of  Paraguay  . . . 402 

Church  at  Canjo.  Paraguay 406 

Falls  of  Iguazu 406 

Paraguayan  lace-maker 410 

Country  home  in  Paraguay 410 

Our  cruiser  Biquelme  on  the  way  to  Corumba.  . . . 426 

Toba  family  and  rancho 426 

River  front.  Corumba 430 

Sigg,  at  the  right,  and  a Corumba  family  ....  430 
Sisters  of  Maria  Ausiliatrice  teaching  Bororos  children  . . 434 

Bororos  Indians  building  a home  for  the  Sisters  of  Maria 

Ausiliatrice 434 

The  Nyoac  on  the  Upper  Paraguay 452 

Our  naturalists  at  work  on  the  Nyoac 452 

Part  of  our  camp  at  Porto  do  Campo 464 

Communities  of  troopials 464 

Parasite-laden  trees 468 

Palmares  in  inundated  territory  468 

Starting  from  Tapirapuhan 474 

The  author  and  Colonel  Roosevelt  at  Utiarity  . . .474 

Breaking  camp  ...  478 


xvi 


LIST  OP  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Five  o’clock  tea  in  the  jungle  . 

PACING  PAGE 

. 478 

Interior  of  Parecis  home  . 

. 484 

Returning  from  the  mandioca  field  . 

. 484 

Parecis  musicians  .... 

. 496 

A Parecis  woman  as  burden-bearer  . 

. 496 

A game  of  headball .... 

. 496 

Utiarity  Falls 

. 500 

The  author  and  some  of  his  little  Parecis  friends  . 

. 500 

Note. — I am  indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  several  of  my  associates  in  the 
expedition  for  the  use  of  their  photographs  in  making  many  of  the  illus- 
trations in  this  volume. 


Route  Followed  by  the  Author  Through  South  America’s 
Southland. 


THROUGH  SOUTH 
AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


CHAPTER  I 

ORIGIN  AND  ORGANIZATION  OF  OUR 
EXPEDITION 

No  lover  of  wild  nature  can  visit  the  equinoctial  regions 
of  South  America,  without  experiencing,  sooner  or  later, 
an  irresistible  desire  to  return  to  these  alluring  lands  of 
romance  and  enchantment.  This  is  especially  true,  if  one 
has  come  under  the  magic  spell  of  the  great  forests  of  the 
interior  of  the  continent  and  has  had  an  opportunity  of 
studying  the  wonderful  fauna  and  flora  which  everywhere 
claim  his  attention.  It  matters  not  that  one  has  to  rough 
it  and  endure  all  manner  of  hardships.  These  drawbacks, 
far  from  deterring  one  from  his  undertaking,  seem,  on  the 
contrary,  to  give  it  a peculiar  zest  which  only  those  can 
appreciate  who  have  been  privileged  to  traverse  the  mar- 
velous regions  that  lie  under  tropical  and  sub-tropical 
skies. 

I can  testify,  as  one  having  experience,  to  the  en- 
thralling character  of  this  particular  kind  of  wanderlust. 
For  it  was  my  good  fortune,  some  years  ago,  to  journey 
through  all  the  northern  part  of  South  America,  to  cross 
the  Andes  in  many  places  between  the  Caribbean  and  Lake 
Titicaca,  and  to  familiarize  myself  with  the  most  salient 
features  of  the  great  waterways  of  the  Amazon,  the  Mag- 
dalena and  the  Orinoco.  I had,  at  times,  to  endure  many 

1 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


privations,  to  live  on  short  rations  and  in  wretched  tambos, 
but  all  these  discomforts  were  forgotten  in  the  contempla- 
tion of  the  exuberant  life  of  the  tropics  and  in  the  impos- 
ing views  of  the  Cordilleras. 

After  a year  of  strenuous  travel,  mostly  through  the 
interior  of  the  countries  visited,  I felt  the  need  of  rest  and 
change  of  climate.  But  I had  scarcely  crossed  the 
threshold  of  my  home  in  the  United  States  when  I felt 
a longing  to  return  to  the  land  in  which  I had  spent  the 
most  delightful  period  of  my  life.  Even  as  I was  sailing 
down  the  Amazon  on  my  way  homeward,  I looked  wistfully 
towards  the  south  and  resolved,  if  opportunity  ever  of- 
fered, to  see  as  much  of  the  great  Paraguay  as  I had  seen 
of  its  famous  companions  in  the  north,  to  compare  the 
pampa  of  Argentina  with  the  llanos  of  Colombia  and  Ven- 
ezuela, and  the  giant  peaks  of  Tupungato  and  Aconcagua 
with  Cotopaxi  and  Chimborazo — those  towering  giants  of 
the  Ecuadorean  Cordilleras. 

And  then,  too,  I wished  to  continue  in  the  footsteps  of 
the  Conquistadores.  I had  followed  them  through  the 
extensive  region  drained  by  the  Meta  and  the  Apure, 
through  the  broad  selva  of  Brazil  and  along  the  lofty 
plateau  of  the  Andean  range,  and  now  I would  fain  trace 
their  course  up  the  wondrous  Rio  de  La  Plata,  through 
El  Gran  Chaco  and  the  desert  stretches  of  Chile.  I de- 
sired, particularly,  to  visit  the  lands  rendered  historic  by 
the  wanderings  and  achievements  of  Cabeza  de  Vaca,  the 
immortal  explorer  and  Governor  of  Paraguay,  and  Pedro 
de  Valdivia,  the  conqueror  of  Chile.  I had  long  years 
before  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  the  former  in  his  memo- 
rable peregrinations  from  Florida  to  Mexico  and  now  I 
was  eager  to  visit  the  scenes  of  his  activities  in  Brazil,  La 
Plata  and  Paraguay.  I had  many  times  crossed  Valdivia’s 
path  in  Peru  and  Bolivia,  and  this  but  whetted  my  desire 
to  behold  the  theater  of  his  disastrous  struggles  with  the 
indomitable  Araucanian.  Like  the  illustrious  Gonsalo 


ORIGIN  AND  ORGANIZATION  OF  OUR  EXPEDITION 


Ximenes  de  Quesada,  the  conqueror  of  New  Granada  and 
founder  of  Bogota,  Cabeza  de  Yaca  was,  seemingly,  a born 
wanderer,  and  one  whose  treatment  by  bis  sovereign  was 
far  from  consonant  with  bis  deserts  or  with  the  brilliancy 
of  bis  achievements.  And  like  Francisco  Pizarro,  the  con- 
queror of  Peru,  Valdivia  was  also  a great  military  leader, 
but  one  who,  after  countless  feats  of  heroism  and  deeds  of 
glory,  was  fated,  like  bis  famous  chief,  to  perish  by  the 
bands  of  bis  implacable  enemies.  And,  like  Quesada  and 
Pizarro,  Valdivia  and  Cabeza  de  Vaca  are  still  waiting  for 
the  advent  of  a historian  who  will  do  full  justice  to  their 
abilities  as  explorers  and  colonizers,  as  military  leaders 
and  statesmen. 

Part  of  my  admiration  for  the  heroes  of  Paraguay  and 
Chile  was,  doubtless,  due  to  my  having  traversed  much  of 
the  ground  that  bad  witnessed  the  toils  and  hardships  of 
their  earlier  career.  For  the  knowledge  gained  by  my  long 
wanderings  bad  enabled  me  fully  to  realize  the  magnitude 
of  the  difficulties  which  often  confronted  them  in  the  hostile 
countries  in  which  they  so  nobly  served  king  and  country. 
But  it  was  the  recognition  of  the  splendid  service  which 
they  had  rendered  during  their  apprenticeship  as  Conquis- 
tadores  that  contributed,  more  than  anything  else,  to  in- 
tensify my  desire  to  familiarize  myself  with  the  famed 
campaigning-grounds  of  their  maturer  years. 

During  my  first  visit  to  South  America,  I was,  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  time,  virtually  alone,  having  no  com- 
panions but  my  escort,  or  such  travelers  as  I happened  to 
fall  in  with  during  the  course  of  my  journey.  This  was  a 
great  drawback,  for  it  is  impossible  fully  to  enjoy  the  mag- 
nificent scenery  of  the  tropics,  or  avail  oneself  of  the 
rare  opportunities  for  studying  Nature  in  her  most  glorious 
manifestations,  unless  one  has  with  him  one  or  more  con- 
genial companions  who  have  an  intelligent  interest  in  the 
fauna  and  flora,  as  well  as  in  the  people  with  whom  one  is 
brought  into  daily  contact.  I resolved,  therefore,  if  I 

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THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


should  ever  go  to  the  interior  of  South  America  again,  that 
I should  not  be  without  at  least  one  companion  who  had 
not  only  an  interest  in  the  fascinating  animal  and  plant  life 
of  the  regions  to  be  visited,  but  wTho  had  also  made  nature 
study  a predominant  part  of  his  life-work. 

But  where  was  I to  find  the  kind  of  a companion  desired 
— one  who  was  not  only  a lover  of  wild  nature  but  one 
who  was  also  prepared  to  endure  all  the  privations  and 
hardships  incident  to  travel  in  the  uninhabited  jungle?  I 
had  not,  however,  pondered  the  matter  long  before  I be- 
thought me  of  a man  who  would  be  an  ideal  traveling  com- 
panion, if  he  could  find  the  necessary  leisure,  and  could  be 
induced  to  visit  the  southern  continent.  This  man  was 
Theodore  Roosevelt,  whose  second  term  as  President  of 
the  United  States  was  just  expiring. 

I accordingly  called  on  him  at  the  White  House,  as 
Colonel  Roosevelt  himself  tells  his  readers  in  his  delightful 
book,  “Through  the  Brazilian  Wilderness,”  and  proposed 
to  him  that,  when  free  from  presidential  cares,  he  and  I 
should  go  up  the  Paraguay  into  the  interior  of  South  Amer- 
ica. During  the  course  of  my  interview,  as  I have  else- 
where written,  I told  the  President  of  a journey  I had  just 
made  into  the  wilds  of  our  sister  continent  and  of  my 
delightful  experiences  among  the  Andes  and  in  the  valleys 
of  the  Orinoco  and  the  Amazon. 

He  was  deeply  interested  in  my  observations  and  im- 
pressions, and  inquired  particularly  about  the  fauna  and 
the  flora  of  the  tropics,  as  well  as  about  the  inhabitants  in, 
the  interior  of  the  great  forest  regions  between  the  Atlantic 
and  the  Cordilleras  and  expressed  the  hope  that  he  might 
eventually  be  able  to  undertake  a journey  that  possessed 
for  him  so  many  and  so  varied  attractions. 

One  reason  why  I w7as  desirous  of  having  Colonel  Roose- 
velt visit  the  interior  of  South  America  was  because  I felt 
that  he,  more  effectually  than  anybody  else,  could  direct 
attention  to  this  little  known  part  of  the  world  as  a region 

4 


ORIGIN  AND  ORGANIZATION  OF  OUR  EXPEDITION 


of  paramount  interest  for  explorers  and  men  of  science, 
especially  American  men  of  science.  For,  strange  as  it  may 
seem,  South  America  is  still  more  of  a terra  incognita  than 
darkest  Africa,  and  many  parts  of  it  are  today  less  known 
than  they  were  three  hundred  years  ago.  Nowhere  is  there 
a richer  field  for  the  botanist,  the  zoologist,  the  geologist, 
the  ethnologist,  than  the  great  selva  of  Brazil  and  the  ex- 
tensive eastern  versant  of  the  Andes  between  the  fertile 
plains  of  the  Casanare  and  the  forest-clad  slopes  of  eastern 
Bolivia.  Compared  with  the1  wonderful  achievements  of 
German  explorers,  our  American  men  of  science  have  ac- 
complished but  little  in  the  interior  of  the  equinoctial  re- 
gions ; and  it  seemed  that  if  Mr.  Roosevelt  could  be  induced 
to  penetrate  the  little  known  territory  of  Matto  Grosso  and 
Amazonas,  he  would  supply  the  necessary  incentive  to  his 
fellow  countrymen  for  devoting  more  time  than  previously 
to  the  exploration  of  the  vast  and  unknown  tracts  drained 
by  the  waters  of  the  Amazon  and  the  Orinoco. 

But  I had  a stronger  reason  than  the  work  that  he  might 
do  as  an  explorer  or  a hunter-naturalist  for  wishing  to  see 
Colonel  Roosevelt  visit  South  America.  I felt  that  he,  with 
his  boundless  energy  and  prestige,  could  do  a certain  much- 
needed  missionary  work  there,  that  he  could  do  more  than 
all  the  diplomats  of  a century  to  dissipate  the  prejudices 
our  southern  neighbors  have  so  long  entertained  respecting 
the  United  States,  and  allay  the  unfounded  fears  which 
have  caused  them  so  long  to  regard  our  ends  and  aims  in 
the  southern  hemisphere  with  unfriendliness  and  distrust. 

During  his  seven  years  in  the  White  House,  Roosevelt 
had  always  shown  himself  the  true  friend  of  South  America, 
and  had  won  the  admiration  and  confidence  of  the  great 
majority  of  her  people.  I had,  during  my  wanderings  in 
the  three  northern  republics  of  the  continent,  found  evi- 
dence of  this  everywhere — even  in  the  most  unlikely  places. 

“Oh,  if  we  could  only  have  a man  like  your  Roosevelt  in 
our  poor,  distracted  country,”  said  a prominent  merchant 

5 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


to  me  in  Caracas,  “how  soon  Venezuela  would  be  blessed 
with  peace  and  prosperity.  Castro  is  a plague,  and  we  are 
everywhere  struggling  against  poverty  and  graft,  ground 
down  by  oppression  and  tyranny.” 

“The  best  thing  that  could  happen  Colombia,”  a well- 
known  general  confided  to  me  in  a little  town  near  Bogota, 
“would  be  to  have  Roosevelt  as  president.  We  need  a man 
like  him  to  put  an  end  to  the  revolutions  that  are  draining 
the  life-blood  of  our  country  and  to  secure  for  us  the  place 
Nature  designed  for  us  among  the  nations  of  the  world.” 
“But  what?”  I inquired,  “do  you  think  of  his  action 
in  Panama?” 

“What  do  I think  of  it?  I think  it  is,”  he  answered, 
“the  best  thing  he  could  have  done  for  Colombia.  Ours  is 
the  only  republic  of  the  southern  continent  that  faces  on 
both  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific,  and  we  shall,  if  we  are 
wise,  derive  more  benefit  from  the  canal  than  any  country 
in  South  America.  The  canal  is  practically  a free  gift  to 
us,  and  Roosevelt  should  be  regarded  by  all  patriotic  Co- 
lombians as  a public  benefactor.” 

The  opinion,  so  pithily  expressed  by  this  old  soldier, 
was  shared  by  many  others  of  all  classes  with  whom  I 
discussed  the  Panama  question  in  Colombia.  Indeed,  I do 
not  recall  a single  instance,  outside  of  a certain  political 
entourage,  in  which  Roosevelt  was  adversely  criticised  for 
this  action  in  Panama. 

During  my  first  visit  to  South  America,  many  of  her 
people  were  seriously  concerned  about  the  number  of  Japan- 
ese that  were  then  wandering  about  the  country.  They 
were  supposed  to  be  army  and  naval  officers  in  disguise, 
and  all  kinds  of  alarming  reports  were  circulated  regard- 
ing their  ultimate  designs.  One  of  these  was  that  Japan 
was  looking  for  a naval  base  on  the  west  coast  of  the  con- 
tinent, or  for  the  territory  of  some  weak  nation,  which  she 
might  annex  for  the  purpose  of  colonization.  “We  have 
no  fear  of  having  any  of  our  country  appropriated  by  the 

6 


ORIGIN  AND  ORGANIZATION  OF  OUR  EXPEDITION 


Mikado,”  declared  a Peruvian  army  officer  at  a banquet 
given  in  my  honor  in  a town  in  eastern  Peru,  “for  we  know 
that  Roosevelt,”  who  was  then  president,  “would  never 
permit  it.  We  know  him  to  be  a friend  of  Peru,  and  we 
know  that  he  would  uphold  the  Monroe  Doctrine  against 
any  foreign  power  that  would  seek  a foothold  in  South 
America.” 

For  a long  time  there  had  been  friction  between  Peru 
and  Ecuador  regarding  the  boundary  between  the  two 
countries.  The  great  difficulty  was  to  find  an  arbitrator 
who  would  be  acceptable  to  both  nations.  Finally,  Presi- 
dent Alfaro  of  Ecuador  said  to  the  representatives  of  Peru, 
“Get  Roosevelt  for  arbitrator,  and  I will  leave  the  bound- 
ary question  between  my  country  and  Peru  in  his  hands 
and  abide  by  his  decision.” 

I give  these  illustrations — they  might  be  indefinitely 
multiplied — of  Roosevelt’s  popularity  and  prestige  in  the 
various  South  American  republics  to  show  that  I was  not 
unwarranted  in  my  belief  that  the  ex-President  was  the 
one  man  above  all  others  who  was  best  qualified  to  estab- 
lish more  friendly  relations  than  had  previously  existed 
between  the  two  continents  of  the  Western  Hemisphere. 

So  much  interested  was  President  Roosevelt  in  my  ac- 
count of  the  South  American  wilderness  and  so  strongly 
did  my  reasons  for  his  undertaking  the  suggested  journey 
appeal  to  him,  “that  had  he  not  previously  made  all  ar- 
rangements to  go  to  the  interior  of  Africa,  he  might  have 
been  prevailed  on  to  visit  South  America  in  1908,  instead 
of  six  years  later.”1 

Although  it  was  not  possible,  for  the  reason  named,  for 
Colonel  Roosevelt  and  myself  to  go  to  South  America  at 
the  time  indicated,  the  project  was  never  abandoned.  It 
was  merely  deferred.  After  the  Colonel’s  return  from 
Africa,  the  expedition  was  frequently  discussed  as  some- 

*Cf.  “Roosevelt  and  South  American  Opinion,”  in  the  American  Review 
of  Reviews  for  July,  1914,  pp.  81-86. 

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THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


thing  we  should  both  like  to  undertake,  but  a combination 
of  circumstances  always  made  it  impossible.  Months  and 
years  passed  by  and  our  fond  dream  of  a journey  together 
through  the  tropical  jungle  seemed  no  nearer  realization 
than  when  it  was  first  conceived.  Colonel  Roosevelt’s  mani- 
fold engagements  made  it  impossible  for  him  to  leave  the 
country  long  enough  to  make  the  contemplated  trip,  and 
nothing  seemed  to  foreshadow  the  time  when  he  would 
have  the  leisure  necessary  for  the  execution  of  our  oft-con- 
sidered plans. 

Finally,  as  the  possibility  of  Colonel  Roosevelt’s  going 
to  South  America  appeared  to  become  daily  more  and 
more  remote,  I resolved  to  delay  no  longer  an  undertaking 
on  which  my  heart  had  so  long  been  set.  I accordingly 
began  to  cast  about  for  someone — preferably  a naturalist — 
to  accompany  me,  for  I had  realized  as  never  before  dur- 
ing my  previous  wanderings  through  South  America,  how 
much  a companion  of  this  kind  would  contribute  to  the 
pleasure  and  profit  of  such  a journey.  It  occurred  to  me 
that  Mr.  Frank  Chapman,  the  distinguished  bird-curator  of 
the  New  York  Museum  of  Natural  History,  would  be  able 
to  recommend  such  a man  as  I was  in  quest  of  and  I,  accord- 
ingly, lost  no  time  in  calling  on  him.  This  was  the  latter 
part  of  June,  1913.  I told  Mr.  Chapman  that  I was  look- 
ing for  a first-class  field  ornithologist,  who  could  speak 
Spanish  well  and  who  was  familiar  with  the  birds  of  South 
America. 

“I  know  just  the  man  you  are  seeking,”  he  replied, 
“and  I shall  be  glad  to  put  you  in  communication  with  him. 
He  has  been  collecting  birds  in  tropical  America  for  nearly 
twenty  years  and  has  done  much  work  for  our  Museum  and 
for  many  others  as  well.  He  speaks  Spanish  like  a native, 
is  accustomed  to  roughing  it,  and  is,  besides,  a capital 
traveling  companion.  His  name  is  George  K.  Cherrie  and 
his  address  is  Newfane,  Vermont.  But  I am  not  sure  that 
he  is  free  just  now,  or  inclined  to  leave  home,  for  he  has 

8 


ORIGIN  AND  ORGANIZATION  OF  OUR  EXPEDITION 


been  so  long  away  from  bis  family,  that  he  may  not  wish 
to  return  to  South  America  at  the  present  time.  Still,  we 
can  soon  find  what  his  pleasure  is  in  the  matter.” 

Having  thus  found  a prospective  companion  of  the  kind 
I had  in  mind,  I told  Mr.  Chapman  that  I was  going  to  call 
on  Colonel  Roosevelt  at  Oyster  Bay,  and  inform  him  of 
the  arrangements  I was  making  for  my  long-contemplated 
trip  to  South  America.  I had  no  hope  that  the  Colonel 
would  finally  be  able  to  go  to  South  America,  but  I knew 
he  would  be  interested  in  hearing  of  my  plans  for  the 
journey. 

“You  may  save  yourself  the  trip  to  Oyster  Bay,  if  you 
have  anything  else  to  do,”  said  Mr.  Chapman,  “for  Colonel 
Roosevelt  is  going  to  take  luncheon  with  me  here  tomorrow 
and  I shall  be  glad  to  have  you  join  us.” 

I accepted  his  kind  invitation,  and  the  following  day, 
at  the  appointed  hour,  I was  in  the  dining-room  of  the 
Museum  of  Natural  History,  where  I found  quite  a num- 
ber of  men  of  science,  most  of  whom  were  members  of  the 
Museum  staff.  Soon  Colonel  Roosevelt  appeared,  and, 
greeting  me  in  the  most  cordial  manner,  he  exclaimed,  “By 
George!  You  here!  You  are  the  very  man  I wish  to  see. 
I was  just  about  to  write  you  to  inform  you  that  I think  I 
shall,  at  last,  be  able  to  take  that  long-talked-of  trip  to 
South  America.  I have  received,  through  the  Argentine 
Minister  in  Washington,  an  invitation  from  the  Museo 
Social  in  Buenos  Aires  to  lecture  before  it  on  Progressive 
Democracy,  and  I am  disposed  to  accept  it.  I shall  let 
you  know  my  decision  in  a few  days.” 

This  was  certainly  a most  agreeable  surprise.  At  the 
time  it  was,  indeed,  about  the  last  thing  I thought  likely. 
It  seemed  almost  too  good  to  be  true,  and  I eagerly  awaited 
the  Colonel’s  promised  letter  advising  me  what  he  pur- 
posed doing. 

Two  days  later  I had  his  answer  and,  to  my  great  de- 
light, it  conveyed  the  gratifying  news  that  he  had  accepted 

9 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


the  invitation  to  lecture  in  Argentina,  and  that  he  would 
probably  also  speak  in  Brazil,  Chile  and  elsewhere.  I felt 
now  that  the  work  which  I had  so  longed  to  see  the  Colonel 
undertake  was  about  to  be  realized  and  under  auspices, 
moreover,  which  were  far  more  favorable  than  I could  have 
dared  to  hope  for  under  ordinary  conditions. 

“Instead  of  taking  a trip  through  the  heart  of  the  con- 
tinent, as  we  had  previously  planned — devoting  most  of 
our  time  to  a study  of  the  geographic  features  of  the  various 
countries  which  we  purposed  visiting — the  Colonel’s  sphere 
of  action  was,  in  a quite  unexpected  manner,  immensely 
enlarged,  and  he  was  given  an  opportunity  of  meeting  and 
becoming  acquainted  with  the  leading  representatives  of 
all  the  countries  through  which  he  passed,  from  Patagonia 
to  the  Equator.”  1 

After  the  expedition  was  at  last  agreed  on,  there  was 
no  time  to  be  lost.  The  Colonel’s  Brazilian  lectures  were 
to  be  delivered  the  latter  part  of  October,  and  it  was  neces- 
sary for  us  to  sail  from  New  York  on  the  steamer  leaving 
the  fourth  of  that  month,  at  the  latest.  The  matter  of 
equipment  required  time,  for  we  resolved  to  take  with  us 
everything  Ave  should  need  in  the  wilderness.  This,  I had 
learned  from  my  previous  travels  in  the  interior,  would  be 
both  cheaper  and  more  satisfactory. 

But  one  of  the  first  things  to  make  sure  of  was  the 
services  of  Cherrie  as  our  ornithologist.  I had  not  had 
time  to  get  into  communication  with  him  before  I learned 
of  Colonel  Roosevelt’s  determination  to  go  to  South  Amer- 
ica. Mr.  Chapman  and  I accordingly  called  on  the  Colonel 
in  his  Outlook  office  to  discuss  the  matter,  and  he  at  once 
agreed  that  Cherrie  should  accompany  us,  if  he  were  free 
to  do  so.  Shortly  afterwards  we  were  both  gratified  to 
learn  that  he  had  accepted  our  invitation  and  was  to  be  one 
of  our  party.  The  first  time,  however,  that  I had  the  pleas- 
ure of  meeting  him  was  on  our  steamer,  just  as  she  was 

1 The  American  Review  of  Reviews,  ut.  sup.  p.  82. 

10 


ORIGIN  AND  ORGANIZATION  OP  OUR  EXPEDITION 


slipping  her  moorings  preparatory  to  taking  her  long  voy- 
age to  Buenos  Aires.  He  barely  escaped  being  too  late  to 
board  the  vessel. 

Our  preliminary  plans  contemplated,  as  a part  of  our 
itinerary,  the  ascent  of  the  Paraguay  and  the  descent  of 
the  Tapajos,  one  of  the  great  affluents  of  the  Amazon.  In- 
stead of  navigating  the  latter  river  in  the  ordinary  dugout 
employed  by  the  natives  of  Brazil,  we  decided  to  take  with 
us  a certain  number  of  specially  made,  light-draft  canoes, 
which  would  be  ample  for  carrying  not  only  the  members 
of  our  party,  but  also  our  provisions  and  equipment.  This 
would  insure  more  comfort  and  greater  safety  and  would, 
besides,  obviate  the  interminable  delays  that  are  always 
incident  to  travel  in  the  wilderness  where  food  and  the 
means  of  transportation  are  necessarily  limited  and  diffi- 
cult— at  times  impossible — to  procure. 

As  Colonel  Roosevelt  had  arranged  to  spend  the  months 
of  July  and  August  on  a hunting  expedition  in  the  wilds 
of  Arizona,  the  task  of  making  all  the  necessary  prepara- 
tions for  the  long  and  arduous  journey  before  us  devolved 
on  me.  Fortunately,  however,  my  responsibility  in  this 
matter  did  not  last  long.  For  I had  no  sooner  begun  to  look 
after  the  equipment  required  for  the  expedition  than  I fell 
in  with  Mr.  Anthony  Fiala,  the  noted  Arctic  explorer.  He 
was  then  in  charge  of  the  sporting  goods  department  of  the 
Rogers  Peet  Company,  New  York,  and  it  was  to  him  I went 
to  secure  a part  of  our  equipage.  Fiala  at  once  became 
intensely  interested  in  our  undertaking,  and,  before  our 
first  interview  was  terminated,  he  declared,  “I  would  give 
anything  in  the  world  to  go  with  you.”  ‘‘Come  along,”  I 
said,  “I  am  sure  Colonel  Roosevelt  will  be  glad  to  have  you 
as  a member  of  the  expedition.” 

It  was  not  long  before  it  was  arranged  for  the  ex- 
Arctic  explorer  to  accompany  us.  To  no  one  was  his  acces- 
sion to  our  party  more  gratifying  than  to  myself,  for  it 
relieved  me  of  most  of  the  detail  work  of  the  commissariat. 

11 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


For  Fiala,  in  addition  to  his  long  experience  in  such  work 
in  the  polar  regions,  had  been,  for  some  years,  quarter- 
master-general in  a New  York  regiment  of  volunteers.  He 
was,  therefore,  promptly  installed  as  the  commissary  of 
our  expedition.  A better  man,  as  subsequent  events  proved, 
could  hardly  have  been  found  for  our  purpose.  Thencefor- 
ward I had  little  more  to  do  with  the  outfitting  of  the 
expedition  than  to  tell  Fiala  what  my  experience  in  the 
tropics  had  taught  me  was  necessary  for  our  undertaking, 
and  everything  was  attended  to  with  rare  intelligence  and 
dispatch. 

Some  weeks  after  Mr.  Fiala  had  become  one  of  our 
number,  I received  a letter  from  Mr.  Chapman  stating  that 
he  would  like,  if  agreeable  to  Colonel  Roosevelt  and  my- 
self, to  have  Mr.  Leo  Miller  join  our  party.  Mr.  Miller, 
like  Mr.  Cherrie,  had  done  very  successful  work  in  South 
America  for  the  Museum  of  Natural  History,  but,  unlike 
Cherrie,  his  specialty  was  not  ornithology  hut  mammalogy. 
I replied  at  once  that  I should  be  delighted  to  have  Mr. 
Miller  go  with  us  and  felt  sure  that  Colonel  Roosevelt 
would  also  welcome  him  as  a member  of  our  band. 

The  expedition  thus  gradually  began  to  assume  propor- 
tions that  no  one  dreamed  of  in  the  beginning  and  the 
amount  of  work  which  it  seemed  destined  to  accomplish 
loomed  large  as  the  day  of  our  departure  rapidly  ap- 
proached. 

We  had  now  three  men  among  our  number  who  were 
experts  each  in  his  special  department,  and  who  could, 
furthermore,  if  called  upon,  turn  their  hands  to  almost 
anything  else  from  caulking  a canoe  to  preparing  an  ap- 
petizing meal.  All  three  were  good  photographers  and  we 
were  thus  sure  of  securing  a valuable  supply  of  photo- 
graphs, as  well  as  a large  collection  of  specimens  of  natural 
history.  Fiala,  in  addition  to  his  duties  as  commissary, 
was  made  the  official  photographer  of  the  expedition,  and 
was  provided  not  only  with  a number  of  excellent  cameras 

12 


ORIGIN  AND  ORGANIZATION  OF  OUR  EXPEDITION 


for  ordinary  photographs,  but  also  with  two  instruments 
for  taking  moving  pictures. 

But  it  was  soon  realized  that,  if  the  best  results  were  to 
be  obtained,  these  three  men  should  always  be  free  to  de- 
vote themselves  entirely  to  their  own  particular  line  of 
work.  Someone,  therefore,  had  to  be  secured  to  look  after 
our  cuisine.  This,  as  all  travelers  in  the  jungle  are  aware, 
is  of  the  utmost  importance,  not  only  in  the  matter  of  sav- 
ing time,  but  also  in  the  comfort  it  guarantees  to  every 
member  of  the  expedition. 

Luckily,  such  a man  as  we  needed  was  found  at  the 
eleventh  hour.  Mr.  Jacob  Sigg,  a Swiss  in  the  prime  of 
life,  hearing  of  our  expedition,  called  upon  me  and  asked 
me  if  we  did  not  wish  to  have  “a  handy-man”  among  our 
number.  After  examining  his  credentials  and  asking  him 
a few  questions,  I discovered  he  was  just  the  man  that  we 
needed  to  complete  our  personnel.  Colonel  Roosevelt 
agreed  with  me  in  this,  and  “Sigg,”  as  he  was  thence- 
forward known,  became  a member  of  the  expedition  only 
a few  hours  before  we  sailed  for  South  America. 

As  a handy-man,  Sigg  was  absolutely  unique,  and  it 
would  have  been  quite  impossible  to  have  found  a man 
who  would  have  better  answered  our  purpose,  or  would 
have,  as  we  found  later,  rendered  us  more  intelligent  and 
willing  service. 

He  had  had  quite  a checkered  career  and  an  experience 
such  as  befalls  but  few  men  of  his  years.  He  was  a gradu- 
ate army  cook  and  nurse,  in  both  of  which  capacities  he 
was  an  expert.  Before  entering  the  army,  he  had  served 
in  Europe  as  a courier  and  interpreter  for  an  Indian 
princess,  had  sailed  before  the  mast  in  many  parts  of  the 
world,  had  mined  for  gold  on  the  eastern  slopes  of  the 
Andes,  and  had  had  charge  of  a gang  of  men  in  the  con- 
struction of  a railroad  in  Bolivia.  In  his  youth,  he  was 
for  a while  chief  engineer  in  an  electric  power  plant,  and 
later  on  he  was  employed  in  operating  steam  engines  in 

13 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Manitoba.  He  could  drive  an  automobile  and  handle  a 
motor  boat  as  well  as  anybody,  and  was  also  skilled  in  the 
use  of  firearms,  to  which  he  had  been  trained  from  his 
earliest  boyhood.  He  was,  besides,  an  accomplished  linguist 
and  his  knowledge  of  Spanish  and  Portuguese  enabled  him 
to  render  invaluable  service  to  a part  of  the  expedition, 
especially  during  its  earlier  stages.  And  with  all  these 
qualifications,  he  was  brave  and  trustworthy,  devoted  and 
ready  for  any  emergency,  from  extracting  an  ulcerated 
tooth  and  amputating  a crushed  finger  to  making  an  an- 
chor for  a disabled  launch.  He  was,  indeed,  in  the  true 
sense  of  the  word  a handy-man,  and  withal  a great  favorite 
with  everyone.  If  I were  to  go  again  to  the  jungle,  the  first 
man  I should  call  for  would  be  good,  loyal,  generous  Jacob 

Sigg. 

Besides  the  foregoing  American  members  of  our  party, 
there  was  Mr.  Frank  Harper,  Colonel  Roosevelt’s  private 
secretary.  At  first,  it  was  arranged  for  him  to  return  to 
New  York  after  his  chief  had  finished  his  lectures  in  Ar- 
gentina, Chile  and  elsewhere,  but  before  we  arrived  at  Rio 
he  was  enrolled  among  the  expeditioners,  and  proved  to  be 
not  only  an  active  and  interested  associate  but  also  a jolly 
good  fellow  as  well. 

At  last  everything  was  ready  for  our  departure.  Our 
provisions  and  equipment  were  aboard,  although  both  Fiala 
and  I had  great  difficulty  in  having  some  of  the  goods  deliv- 
ered in  time.  Indeed,  it  was  only  by  the  constant  use  of  the 
telephone  and  telegraph  that  we  finally  succeeded  in  hav- 
ing, at  the  last  moment,  all  our  equipage  safely  deposited 
in  the  hold  of  our  steamer.  The  time  allowed  our  outfitters 
to  get  ready  all  we  required  had  been  very  limited,  and  had 
they  not  shown  the  greatest  goodwill,  as  well  as  a special 
interest  in  our  expedition,  we  should  have  been  obliged  to 
depart  minus  many  of  the  most  important  items  of  our 
equipment. 


CHAPTER  II 


IN  THE  CRADLE  OF  THE  DEEP 

A happy  and  a merry  party  it  was  that  crowded  the 
spacious  decks  of  the  good  ship  Vandyke  on  the  bright  and 
cheerful  morning  of  October  4,  1913,  as  she  was  about  to 
leave  her  berth  in  the  East  River  for  her  long  voyage  be- 
yond the  Equator.  A vast  throng  had  assembled  on  the 
surrounding  docks  and  streets  to  say  farewell  to  the  de- 
parting travelers.  Conspicuous  among  these  was  a special 
delegation,  with  blaring  band  and  flying  banners,  of  the 
Progressive  Party  to  bid  Godspeed  to  their  smiling  chief 
who  had,  the  previous  night,  been  the  recipient  of  a demon- 
stration of  confidence  and  affection  such  as  few  men  had 
ever  been  honored  with,  and  which  revealed,  more  elo- 
quently than  words,  the  place  he  held  in  the  hearts  of  his 
countrymen. 

Among  the  passengers  were  representatives  of  many 
nationalities.  Some  were  going  to  South  America  on  busi- 
ness, some  were  on  pleasure  bent,  while  others  were  return- 
ing to  their  homes  under  the  Southern  Cross.  All  were  in 
high  spirits  and  were  looking  forward  to  a delightful 
month’s  voyage  on  the  azure  ocean  wave,  under  a sky  that 
is 

“Blue,  darkly,  deeply,  beautifully  blue.” 

But  I venture  to  say  that  the  most  happy  and  interested 
group  aboard  was  that  which,  shortly  before,  at  a meet- 
ing of  some  of  our  party  at  the  Harvard  Club,  had  been 
christened  “The  Roosevelt  South  American  Scientific  Ex- 
pedition.” All  were  dominated  by  the  magic  of  a single 

15 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


thought  and  were  already  looking  forward,  with  fond  ex- 
pectancy, to  unwonted  achievements  in  equatorial  jungles. 

They  had  scarcely  been  located  in  their  staterooms  when 
they  were  to  be  seen  engrossed  with  their  books  and  scien- 
tific apparatus  preparatory  to  the  more  active  work  they 
were  to  do  on  their  arrival  at  the  scene  of  their  future 
labors.  Each  one  had  a small  but  select  library.  Most  of 
the  works  were  of  a scientific  character  and  dealt  with  the 
animals  and  savage  tribes  of  the  countries  which  we  were 
to  traverse.  Among  these  were  recent  memoirs  as  well  as 
the  larger  and  older  classical  studies  on  South  America. 
But  literary  and  historical  works  were  not  wanting  and 
nothing  was  more  remarkable  than  the  character  and 
variety  of  the  volumes  which  an  examination  of  our  book 
kits  disclosed.  There  was  something  for  every  taste,  from 
the  latest  Spanish  or  Portuguese  novel  to  the  “Chanson  de 
Roland,”  and  the  “Nibelungenlied,”  from  the  “Divina 
Commedia,”  and  the  “Os  Lusiadas”  of  Camoens  to  the 
“Autobiography  of  St.  Teresa”  and  the  “Soliloquia”  of 
St.  Augustine. 

Although  it  was  rare  to  find  a member  of  our  party 
without  a book  in  his  hand,  “the  Colonel,”  as  we  always 
called  the  leader  of  our  expedition,  was,  by  all  odds,  the 
one  who  read  most.  Except  when  dictating  to  his  secre- 
tary, or  taking  an  occasional  stroll  on  deck  and  discussing 
with  us  our  future  work  in  the  South  American  wilderness, 
he  seemed  to  spend  all  his  waking  hours  in  reading.  And 
his  taste  for  literature  was  absolutely  omnivorous.  He 
would  sometimes,  while  he  was  on  the  steamer  and  master 
of  his  time,  devour  two  or  three  volumes  a day,  each  on  a 
different  subject. 

He  did  not  merely  glance  at  the  pages,  as  one  might  sup- 
pose, but  read  them  in  such  wise  that  he  could  give  an 
accurate  account  of  their  contents.  He  seems  to  have  the 
faculty  possessed  by  few  men— Gustave  Dore  and  Robert 
Houdin  were  instances — of  making  a snapshot  of  a page 

16 


IN  THE  CRADLE  OF  THE  DEEP 


with  his  eye  and  of  mastering  its  subject-matter  with  equal 
rapidity. 

“ Reading  with  me  is  a disease,”  Roosevelt  often  told 
me,  when  I expressed  surprise,  as  I often  did,  at  his  reading 
so  constantly  and,  often,  under  such  unfavorable  circum- 
stances. If  it  be  a disease,  it  is  certainly  one  that  does  no 
harm  to  the  patient,  and  one,  I fancy,  with  which  most  sane 
people  would  like  to  be  inoculated.  It  is  regrettable,  in- 
deed, that  it  is  neither  contagious  nor  infectious,  for  I can 
conceive  of  few  things  that  would  be  productive  of  more 
good,  or  conducive  to  more  pleasure  to  the  world  at  large, 
than  the  prevalence,  among  all  classes,  of  the  kind  of  read- 
ing disease  of  which  Theodore  Roosevelt  has  been  the  will- 
ing and  happy  victim. 

Few  people  can  engage  in  serious  reading  directly  after 
meals,  without  experiencing  evil  effects.  The  subject  of 
our  sketch,  however,  can  read  immediately  after  a hearty 
dinner  quite  as  well  as  before,  and  suffer  no  discomfort 
from  so  doing.  His  brain  and  stomach  do  not  seem  to  be 
correlated,  as  in  ordinary  mortals.  On  the  contrary,  both 
organs  appear  to  be  adapted  to  work  simultaneously  at 
high  pressure  and  with  no  appreciable  injury  to  either  the 
one  or  the  other.  Working  brain  and  stomach  together, 
as  severely  as  Theodore  Roosevelt  does,  would  for  most 
people,  end  in  chronic  dyspepsia,  if  not  something  worse. 

Roosevelt’s  concentration  of  mind  when  reading  is 
quite  as  remarkable  as  his  ability  to  read,  at  any  and  all 
times,  without  inconvenience  or  discomfort.  When  really 
interested  in  a book,  he  seems  to  be  absolutely  dead,  for  the 
time  being,  to  all  the  rest  of  the  world.  Noise  does  not 
affect  him  in  the  least.  He  can  sit  in  the  midst  of  a talk- 
ing, shouting  crowd  and  be  totally  oblivious  of,  and  in- 
sensible to,  everything  but  the  contents  of  the  volume  in 
his  hands. 

The  two  of  our  party  who  devoted  the  least  time  to 
books  were  probably  Harper  and  Fiala.  The  former  had 

17 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


thought  and  were  already  looking  forward,  with  fond  ex- 
pectancy, to  unwonted  achievements  in  equatorial  jungles. 

They  had  scarcely  been  located  in  their  staterooms  when 
they  were  to  be  seen  engrossed  with  their  books  and  scien- 
tific apparatus  preparatory  to  the  more  active  work  they 
were  to  do  on  their  arrival  at  the  scene  of  their  future 
labors.  Each  one  had  a small  but  select  library.  Most  of 
the  works  were  of  a scientific  character  and  dealt  with  the 
animals  and  savage  tribes  of  the  countries  which  we  were 
to  traverse.  Among  these  were  recent  memoirs  as  well  as 
the  larger  and  older  classical  studies  on  South  America. 
But  literary  and  historical  works  were  not  wanting  and 
nothing  was  more  remarkable  than  the  character  and 
variety  of  the  volumes  which  an  examination  of  our  book 
kits  disclosed.  There  was  something  for  every  taste,  from 
the  latest  Spanish  or  Portuguese  novel  to  the  ‘ ‘ Chanson  de 
Poland,”  and  the  “Nibelungenlied,”  from  the  “Divina 
Commedia,  ” and  the  “Os  Lusiadas”  of  Camoens  to  the 
“Autobiography  of  St.  Teresa”  and  the  “Soliloquia”  of 
St.  Augustine. 

Although  it  was  rare  to  find  a member  of  our  party 
without  a book  in  his  hand,  “the  Colonel,”  as  we  always 
called  the  leader  of  our  expedition,  was,  by  all  odds,  the 
one  who  read  most.  Except  when  dictating  to  his  secre- 
tary, or  taking  an  occasional  stroll  on  deck  and  discussing 
with  us  our  future  work  in  the  South  American  wilderness, 
he  seemed  to  spend  all  his  waking  hours  in  reading.  And 
his  taste  for  literature  was  absolutely  omnivorous.  He 
would  sometimes,  while  he  was  on  the  steamer  and  master 
of  his  time,  devour  two  or  three  volumes  a day,  each  on  a 
different  subject. 

He  did  not  merely  glance  at  the  pages,  as  one  might  sup- 
pose, but  read  them  in  such  wise  that  he  could  give  an 
accurate  account  of  their  contents.  He  seems  to  have  the 
faculty  possessed  by  few  men — Gustave  Dore  and  Robert 
Houdin  were  instances — of  making  a snapshot  of  a page 

16 


IN  THE  CRADLE  OF  THE  DEEP 


with  his  eye  and  of  mastering  its  subject-matter  with  equal 
rapidity. 

“ Reading  with  me  is  a disease,”  Roosevelt  often  told 
me,  when  I expressed  surprise,  as  I often  did,  at  his  reading 
so  constantly  and,  often,  under  such  unfavorable  circum- 
stances. If  it  be  a disease,  it  is  certainly  one  that  does  no 
harm  to  the  patient,  and  one,  I fancy,  with  which  most  sane 
people  would  like  to  be  inoculated.  It  is  regrettable,  in- 
deed, that  it  is  neither  contagious  nor  infectious,  for  I can 
conceive  of  few  things  that  would  be  productive  of  more 
good,  or  conducive  to  more  pleasure  to  the  world  at  large, 
than  the  prevalence,  among  all  classes,  of  the  kind  of  read- 
ing disease  of  which  Theodore  Roosevelt  has  been  the  will- 
ing and  happy  victim. 

Few  people  can  engage  in  serious  reading  directly  after 
meals,  without  experiencing  evil  effects.  The  subject  of 
our  sketch,  however,  can  read  immediately  after  a hearty 
dinner  quite  as  well  as  before,  and  suffer  no  discomfort 
from  so  doing.  His  brain  and  stomach  do  not  seem  to  be 
correlated,  as  in  ordinary  mortals.  On  the  contrary,  both 
organs  appear  to  be  adapted  to  work  simultaneously  at 
high  pressure  and  with  no  appreciable  injury  to  either  the 
one  or  the  other.  Working  brain  and  stomach  together, 
as  severely  as  Theodore  Roosevelt  does,  would  for  most 
people,  end  in  chronic  dyspepsia,  if  not  something  worse. 

Roosevelt’s  concentration  of  mind  when  reading  is 
quite  as  remarkable  as  his  ability  to  read,  at  any  and  all 
times,  without  inconvenience  or  discomfort.  When  really 
interested  in  a book,  he  seems  to  be  absolutely  dead,  for  the 
time  being,  to  all  the  rest  of  the  world.  Noise  does  not 
affect  him  in  the  least.  He  can  sit  in  the  midst  of  a talk- 
ing, shouting  crowd  and  be  totally  oblivious  of,  and  in- 
sensible to,  everything  but  the  contents  of  the  volume  in 
his  hands. 

The  two  of  our  party  who  devoted  the  least  time  to 
books  were  probably  Harper  and  Fiala.  The  former  had 

17 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


become,  just  before  leaving  New  York,  the  proud  possessor 
of  an  extra  fine  kodak,  and  lie  lost  no  time  in  using  it.  He 
had  never  taken  pictures  before,  but  he  entered  at  once 
into  the  fascinating  pastime  with  all  the  ardor  of  a con- 
firmed amateur.  He  found  in  our  official  photographer, 
Mr.  Fiala,  an  able  and  willing  teacher.  When  not  handling 
the  keys  of  the  typewriter,  he  was  usually  seen  with  his 
camera  on  the  lookout  for  views  worth  preserving.  His 
progress  in  the  art  was  so  rapid  that  he  was  soon  able  to 
make  as  good  pictures  as  many  professionals,  and  not  a 
few  of  the  best  photographs  used  for  illustrating  Colonel 
Roosevelt’s  magazine  articles  were  due  to  the  skill  and 
artistic  sense  of  Mr.  Frank  Harper. 

As  for  Fiala,  most  of  his  time  was  spent  on  astronomical 
instruments.  Since  his  last  voyage  to  the  arctic  regions 
he  had  had  no  practice  in  the  use  of  such  apparatus,  and 
he  wished  as  he  expressed  it,  “to  recover  the  knack  of  using 
the  sextant  and  theodolite  without  undue  loss  of  time.” 
Accordingly,  he  was  found  every  day,  with  the  officers  of 
the  ship,  taking  observations  of  the  sun  and  stars,  and 
determining  by  the  nautical  almanac  and  a delicate  chro- 
nometer the  latitude  and  longitude  of  our  position  on  the 
ocean.  For,  besides  being  our  chief  commissary — Sigg  was 
drafted  as  assistant — and  official  photographer,  Fiala  was 
delegated  to  make  all  the  astronomical  observations  re- 
quired during  the  course  of  our  long  wanderings  through 
the  wilderness. 

Naturally,  the  chief  subject  of  conversation,  on  our  way 
from  New  York  to  Rio  de  Janeiro,  was  our  expedition. 
It  was  upon  the  tapis  every  time  we  met  at  table  and  fre- 
quently during  the  day  on  the  promenade  deck  and  else- 
where. It  was  then  that  we  were  wont  to  give  the  con- 
clusions we  had  drawn  from  our  readings  on  South  Amer- 
ica, and  make  known  ideas  that  had  occurred  to  us  which 
might  contribute  to  the  success  of  our  enterprise.  While 
one  was  reading  about  the  birds  of  the  Paraguayan  basin, 

18 


IN  THE  CRADLE  OF  THE  DEEP 


another  was  devoting  himself  to  the  distribution  of  mam- 
mals in  the  La  Plata  region,  while  still  another  was  ab- 
sorbed in  the  histories  of  the  countries  which  we  intended 
traversing  or  exploring. 

When  we  came  to  communicate  the  results  of  our  read- 
ing, or  to  exchange  views  on  any  particular  subject  of  gen- 
eral interest  to  the  members  of  the  expedition,  Colonel 
Roosevelt  always  took  a prominent  part  in  the  discussion 
that  followed.  It  was  then  that  we  were  often  amazed  by 
his  broad  and  exact  knowledge  not  only  of  the  fauna  of 
the  countries  we  were  about  to  visit,  but  also  of  the  politi- 
cal and  social  histories  of  their  peoples  as  well. 

Five  days  after  leaving  New  York,  we  were  sailing 
along  the  leeward  coast  of  the  beautiful  crescentiform 
group  of  the  Caribees,  so  called  because  they  were  formerly 
inhabited  by  Carib  Indians,  who,  Columbus  thought,  were 
cannibals.  Usually  the  route  of  the  company’s  steamers  is 
farther  east,  but  we  were  specially  favored  and  by  taking 
a more  westerly  course  were  able  to  get  a good  view  of  the 
most  important  islands  of  this  remarkable  cluster.  The 
weather  was  ideal  and  we  were  able  to  coast  so  near  the 
various  islands  that  we  could  distinctly  discern  not  only  the 
towns  and  plantations  that  bedecked  their  shore,  but  also 
the  tiny  white  cottages  which  dotted  the  hills  and  mountain 
flanks. 

The  higher  mountains,  many  of  them  of  volcanic  origin 
and  several  thousand  feet  high,  were  very  imposing  and, 
looming  up  directly  from  the  ocean  bed,  they  seemed  much 
higher  than  they  were  in  reality.  In  many  instances,  they 
were  covered  from  base  to  summit  with  the  most  luxuriant 
tropical  vegetation  and  forest  growth  which  were  in  marked 
contrast  with  the  silver  breakers  and  amber-fretted  strands 
which  marked  the  dividing  line  between  sea  and  land. 

Although  I have  sailed  on  the  West  Indian  seas  in  every 
direction  and  in  every  season  of  the  year,  I have  never 
encountered  any  of  those  terrific  hurricanes  which  so  fre- 

19 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


quently  sweep  over  these  waters  and  carry  death  and  dev- 
astation in  their  path.  It  was,  on  the  contrary,  always  my 
good  fortune  to  find  fair  weather  and  a tranquil  sea,  and 
to  be  able  to  enjoy  all  the  beauties  of  land  and  water  which 
here  meet  the  eyes  of  the  delighted  voyager.  But  never 
before  did  I find  wind  and  wave  so  propitious  as  during  this 
trip,  and  never  were  the  vistas  of  green-carpeted  planta- 
tions and  forest-clad  mountains  more  radiant,  or  more  en- 
trancing. Nature  everywhere  seemed  to  be  at  her  best 
and  loveliest,  and  every  prospect  was  a picture  worthy  of 
the  graphic  pen  of  a Byron  or  a Shelley,  or  of  the  magic 
brush  of  a Claude  or  a Turner.  And  of  each  picture  Erin’s 
bard,  Thomas  Moore,  could  well  have  written  what  he 
penned  of  “the  scenery  fair”  that  lay  beneath  his  window 
in  the  Bermudas,  where  he  abode  for  awhile  in  the  begin- 
ning of  the  last  century: 

You’d  think  that  Nature  lavished  there 
Her  purest  wave,  her  softest  skies, 

To  make  a heaven  for  love  to  sigh  in, 

For  bards  to  live  and  saints  to  die  in. 

While  passing  Martinique  and  St.  Vincent,  we  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  two  most  destructive  volcanoes  of  the  West- 
ern Hemisphere — Mont  Pelee  and  the  Soufriere.  It  was 
the  terrific  eruption  of  Mont  Pelee  on  the  fateful  ninth  of 
May,  1902,  that  wiped  out  of  existence  the  flourishing  city 
of  Saint  Pierre  and  exterminated  thirty  thousand  people 
within  the  space  of  thirty  seconds,  and  occasioned,  at  the 
same  time,  a property  loss  of  a hundred  million  dollars. 

No  islands  of  the  New  World  have  been  theaters  of 
more  stirring  romances  or  more  appalling  tragedies  than 
those  of  the  Caribbean  Sea,  and  none  have  witnessed 
greater  reverses  of  fortune  or  more  frequent  changes  of 
flags  and  rulers.  For  this  reason  no  one  interested  in  the 
story  of  American  discovery  can  sail  these  waters  and  con- 

20 


IN  THE  CRADLE  OF  THE  DEEP 


template  their  emerald  isles  without  harking  back  to  earlier 
days  and  being  thrilled  by  the  deeds  of  valor  which  were 
here  enacted. 

First  and  foremost  cruising  these  waters  is  the  com- 
manding figure  of  Columbus,  the  immortal  “Admiral  of 
the  Ocean  Sea,”  who  hoped  to  reach  the  rich  lands  of  India 
by  sailing  towards  the  setting  sun,  and  who  thought,  till 
the  day  of  his  death,  that  he  had  actually  discovered  in 
this  part  of  the  world  the  dominions  of  the  Great  Kahn. 
The  solution  of  the  baffling  “Mystery  of  the  Strait,”  which 
engaged  the  last  years  of  his  eventful  life,  was  not  to  be 
effected  until  more  than  four  centuries  after  his  demise, 
and  then  by  means  undreamed  of  by  him  and  by  a nation 
still  unborn. 

Quickly  following  in  his  wake  were  the  Conquistadores, 
those  extraordinary  men  of  blood  and  iron  who  have  left  an 
indelible  impress  on  the  New  World  from  Florida  to  South- 
ern Chile.  Among  these,  most  noted  for  their  achievements 
were  Hernan  Cortes,  Gonsalo  Ximenes  de  Quesada  and 
Francisco  Pizarro,  the  Conquerors  of  the  Aztecs,  the  Muis- 
cas,  and  the  Incas — three  men  who,  by  sheer  force  of  genius 
and  daring,  made  their  sovereign  the  ruler  of  the  greatest 
empire  under  the  sun. 

And  here,  too,  was  the  scene  of  operations  of  those 
famous  buccaneers — “Brethren  of  the  Coast” — who  preyed 
on  Spanish  commerce,  sacked  Spanish  towns  and  cities, 
and,  under  cover  of  secret  havens,  lay  in  wait  for  the 
richly  laden  galleons  that  were  conveying  the  treasures  of 
Mexico  and  Peru  to  San  Lucar  and  Cadiz.  But  not  only 
was  this  the  favorite  cruising  ground  for  such  freebooters 
as  Drake  and  Mansvelt  and  Morgan,  but  here  also  were  the 
favorite  haunts  of  those  dread  successors  of  the  buccaneers 
— the  pirates  and  corsairs  whose  depredations  respected 
no  flag — who  were  treated  as  outlaws  not  only  by  Spain  but 
also  by  all  other  nations  as  well.  Here  also  were  the  battle 
grounds  of  the  English,  Dutch,  French  and  Danes,  who, 

21 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


after  they  had  long  warred  against  Spain  as  against  a 
common  enemy,  turned  their  arms  against  one  another  in 
their  struggles  for  spoil  and  territory,  and  made  the  tow- 
ering cliffs  of  these  parts  echo  the  roar  of  artillery  for 
many  long  decades. 

But  the  Caribbean  Sea  and  islands  recall  more  than  the 
exploits  of  famous  navigators,  conquistadores  and  fili- 
busters. This  was  particularly  impressed  on  our  minds  as 
we  passed  the  little  islands  of  Nevis  and  St.  Eustatius. 

Looking  at  Nevis  today,  inhabited  chiefly  by  indolent 
and  ignorant  Negroes,  one  would  scarcely  think  of  it  as  the 
birthplace  of  one  of  our  most  distinguished  statesmen.  And 
yet  it  was  here  that  Alexander  Hamilton  was  born.  It  was 
here  that  he  spent  the  first  eleven  years  of  his  life.  It  was 
here,  too,  that  Horatio  Nelson,  the  hero  of  the  Nile  and 
Trafalgar,  found  a wife  in  the  person  of  a widow,  Frances 
Herbert  Nisbet. 

More  interesting  still  to  Americans  is  the  island  of 
St.  Eustatius,  more  commonly  known  as  Statia.  For  it  was 
here,  according  to  tradition,  that  an  American  vessel,  flying 
a distinctive  flag,  was  first  honored  with  a salute.  The 
name  of  the  vessel  was  the  Andrew  Doria,  a privateer  from 
Baltimore,  which  had  called  at  the  little  Dutch  island  for 
supplies.  The  doughty  old  Governor,  Johannes  de  Graaff, 
was  the  one  who  ordered  the  salute  to  be  fired.  This  was 
in  November,  1776.  The  flag  is  said  to  have  had  thirteen 
stripes  of  red,  white  and  blue  colors,  but  without  the  starry 
canton  which  distinguishes  our  present  national  emblem. 

Shortly  after  leaving  St.  Eustatius,  we  found  ourselves 
in  the  dark  green  waters  that  wash  the  leeward  coast  of 
Dominica.  They  had  a special  fascination  for  us,  for  they 
had  witnessed,  more  than  a century  ago,  the  celebrated 
naval  battle  between  Rodney  and  De  Grasse — one  of  the 
greatest  and  most  decisive  sea  fights  in  history.  This  spot 
has,  indeed,  well  been  called  England’s  Salamis,  for  it  was 
Rodney’s  remarkable  victory  here  over  the  French  fleet 

22 


IN  THE  CKADLE  OF  THE  DEEP 


that  not  only  established  English  supremacy  in  the  West 
Indies  but  also  saved  the  British  Empire. 

Martinique,  too,  possessed  a special  attraction  for  us, 
for  it  was  the  early  home  of  Josephine,  the  beautiful  creole 
who  became  the  consort  of  the  first  Napoleon.  Fronting 
the  entrance  of  the  harbor  of  Fort  de  France  is  a superb 
white  marble  statue  of  the  empress,  which  was  presented 
to  the  city  by  her  nephew,  Napoleon  III.  The  face  of  the 
empress  is  turned  toward  her  birthplace — Trois  Ilets — 
about  five  miles  distant,  where  in  an  upper  room  of  a sugar- 
mill  she  spent  the  first  decade  of  her  life.  What  a contrast 
between  her  retired  life  in  this  humble  sucrerie,  as  the  plain 
daughter  of  a sugar  planter,  and  the  high  destiny  to  which 
she  was  subsequently  called  in  the  magnificent  palaces  of 
the  Tuileries  and  the  Luxembourg,  where  she  was  the  idol- 
ized and  the  adulated  consort  of  the  most  powerful  monarch 
in  Christendom! 

Our  first  port  of  call  on  our  southeastward  course — for 
South  America  is  east  as  well  as  south  of  the  United 
States — was  Bridgetown,  Barbados.  Dropping  anchor  in 
the  roadstead  of  this  interesting  capital  of  “Little  Eng- 
land,” as  the  Barbadians  love  to  call  their  diminutive  coral 
island,  we  went  ashore  a few  hours  as  the  guest  of  the 
governor,  whose  hospitality  was  most  cordial  and  gracious. 
After  visiting  some  of  the  most  interesting  parts  of  the 
island,  we  were  invited  to  luncheon  in  Government  House 
where  we  met  several  of  the  most  distinguished  people  of 
the  colony. 

To  myself,  personally,  this  brief  stop  in  Barbados  was 
particularly  agreeable,  as  I had,  several  years  before,  spent 
several  weeks  here  for  much  needed  repose  after  a long 
and  strenuous  journey  across  South  America  from  Lima  to 
Para.  During  the  winter  season,  no  more  restful  spot  can 
be  found.  The  temperature  is  then  most  equable  and  the 
weather  always  delightful.  For  this  reason  it  has  long  been 
favorably  known  as  a health  resort.  It  is  visited  by  large 

23 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


numbers  of  people  not  only  from  England  and  the  United 
States  but  also  from  the  tropical  regions  of  South  America. 

For  Americans,  Barbados  possesses  a peculiar  interest, 
as  it  was  the  only  foreign  land  which  George  Washington, 
then  a major  in  the  British  Army,  ever  visited.  When 
about  twenty  years  of  age,  he  accompanied  to  this  place 
his  brother,  Major  Lawrence  Washington — then  far  gone 
in  consumption — who  had  served  as  captain  under  Admiral 
Vernon  in  the  famous  expedition  against  Cartagena  in 
1740.  It  was  in  honor  of  this  old  admiral  that  Major 
Washington  named  his  possessions  on  the  Potomac,  Mount 
Vernon — an  estate  which,  before  his  death,  he  devised  to 
his  brother,  George,  and  which  in  after  years  became  the 
home  of  “the  Father  of  his  Country.”  While  enjoying  the 
courteous  hospitality  of  the  good  people  of  Barbados,  I 
recalled  an  entry  made  by  Washington  in  a journal  which 
he  kept  while  in  the  island  and  which  is  as  true  today  as 
when  it  was  first  penned:  “Hospitality  and  genteel  be- 

havior is  shown  to  every  gentleman  stranger  by  the  in- 
habitants. ’ ’ 

Another  distinguished  foreigner  also  came  hither — al- 
most the  last  man  in  the  world  one  would  expect  to  find 
so  far  from  the  land  of  his  birth.  This  was  no  less  a 
personage  than  Fernando  Paleologus,  a descendant  of  the 
Greek  emperor  and  a scion  of  the  great  family  of  the  Con- 
stantines. When  the  Crescent  triumphed  over  the  Cross  in 
Constantinople,  some  of  the  Paleoligi  sought  refuge  in 
England,  and  thus  it  happened  that  Fernando  eventually 
found  his  way  to  Barbados,  where,  for  nearly  thirty  years, 
he  made  his  home.  Here  he  died,  and  his  last  resting 
place  is  on  a lofty  cliff  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  island, 
where,  with  his  face  to  the  east,  he  awaits,  to  use  his  dying 
words,  “the  joyful  resurrection  of  the  just,  to  eternal  life.” 

It  was  at  Bridgetown  that  our  Mr.  Leo  Miller,  on  in- 
structions from  New  York,  joined  our  party.  He  had  been, 
as  before  stated,  selected  as  our  mammalogist,  and,  as  his 

24 


IN  THE  CRADLE  OF  THE  DEEP 


work  soon  demonstrated,  we  could  not  have  selected  a 
better  man.  He  had  just  come  from  British  Guiana,  where 
lie  had  made  an  interesting  collection  of  specimens  for  the 
New  York  Museum  of  Natural  History.  Before  that  he 
had  done  notable  work  for  the  same  institution  in  Vene- 
zuela and  Colombia,  especially  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Upper  Orinoco  and  the  Caqueta.  An  enthusiastic  and  tire- 
less naturalist,  he  contributed  fully  his  share  to  the  success 
of  the  expedition. 

After  leaving  Barbados,  our  course  was  still  more  east- 
ward than  it  had  previously  been.  We  continued  to  have 
delightful  weather  and  glided  along  merrily  through  the 
placid  sea  on  an  even  keel.  Many  of  the  passengers 
dreaded  the  approach  to  the  equator,  because  of  their 
unwarranted  apprehension  of  unbearable  heat  in  this  part 
of  the  world.  Imagine  their  surprise  on  finding  the  tem- 
perature, as  they  crossed  the  equinoctial  line,  not  higher 
but  lower  than  it  had  been  when  they  passed  the  tropic  of 
Cancer.  So  cool,  indeed,  was  it  that  some  of  the  ladies  were 
observed  to  call  for  light  wraps  on  the  evening  of  the  day 
that  we  entered  the  southern  hemisphere. 

There  is,  however,  a very  marked  difference  between  the 
temperatures  at  the  equator  on  the  eastern  and  western 
sides  of  the  continent.  On  the  west  coast  the  thermometer 
falls  far  lower  than  it  ever  does  on  the  east  coast  under  the 
line,  and,  at  times,  one  must  wear  heavy  clothing  in  order 
to  be  comfortable.  This  is  owing  to  the  Humboldt  Current, 
which  flows  from  the  antarctic  regions  and  which  very  ma- 
terially diminishes  the  temperature  of  the  waters  of  that 
part  of  the  Pacific  which  washes  the  coasts  of  Chile  and 
Peru.  Along  the  east  coast,  on  the  contrary,  both  sea  and 
land  are  affected  by  the  warn  trade-winds  that  sweep 
across  the  Atlantic  from  the  torrid  zone  of  Africa,  and,  as 
a result,  the  degrees  of  temperature  at  corresponding  lati- 
tudes, on  opposite  sides  of  the  continent,  are  usually  quite 
widely  separated.  But  never,  even  when  the  mercury 

25 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


mounts  highest,  is  the  heat  at  the  equator  anything  like  it 
was  conceived  to  be  by  Aristotle  and  Pliny.  For  according 
to  these  writers  and  their  followers  for  the  succeeding  two 
thousand  years,  the  northern  and  southern  hemispheres 
were  forever  separated  from  each  other  by  an  impassable 
burning  zone  which  was  absolutely  devoid  of  every  form 
of  animal  and  vegetable  life. 

From  time  immemorial  it  has  been  the  custom  of  sea- 
faring men  to  put  through  a peculiar  form  of  initiation 
those  who  cross  the  equator  for  the  first  time.  The  process 
is,  usually,  far  from  agreeable  to  the  victims  of  the  sport, 
but  most  of  those  who  submit  to  it  do  so  with  good  grace. 
On  our  ship  special  preparations  were  made  for  this  inter- 
esting event,  and  all  eagerly  awaited  its  coming — not  that 
anyone  was  particularly  eager  himself  to  be  shaved  and 
ducked  by  the  sailors  in  charge  of  the  ceremony,  but  be- 
cause each  and  every  one  was  glad  to  take  part  in  some- 
thing to  break  the  routine  of  a voyage  which,  by  reason  of 
its  length,  was  gradually  becoming  monotonous.  Some,  it 
is  true,  entered  into  the  sport  with  more  zest  than  others 
and  yielded  quite  willingly  to  the  pranks  of  the  marine  bar- 
bers who,  after  covering  their  victims  with  powder  and 
paste,  cast  them  into  an  adjoining  tank  of  sea  water.  After 
this  rather  forcible  immersion,  which  afforded  great  amuse- 
ment to  the  spectators,  the  initiated  were  considered  “Sons 
of  Neptune.”  Even  the  fact  of  crossing  the  line  makes  one 
a son  of  the  sea-god  and  entitles  him  to  assist  in  the  initia- 
tion of  others,  without  ever  being  again  subject  to  the 
process  himself. 

As  for  myself,  the  crossing  of  the  line  recalled  many 
events  of  transcendent  importance  in  early  South  Ameri- 
can history.  Standing  on  the  starboard  deck  I gazed  to- 
wards the  setting  sun,  and  far  in  the  distant  west  I beheld 
in  fancy  the  mighty  Amazon  coursing  from  the  far-off 
Cordilleras  and  bringing  its  rich  tribute  of  waters  to  the 
broad  and  deep  Atlantic.  It  was  down  this  greatest  of  the 

26 


IN  THE  CRADLE  OF  THE  DEEP 


world’s  waterways  that  the  daring  Orellana  and  his  gal- 
lant companions  guided  a frail  bark  of  their  own  construc- 
tion, and  by  so  doing  startled  the  world  by  a discovery 
which  the  historian  Oviedo  characterized  as,  una  de  las 
mayores  cosas  que  han  acontecido  a los  hombres — one  of 
the  greatest  things  that  have  befallen  mankind.1  Only  one 
who  has  followed  in  Orellana’s  wake,  and  who  calls  to  mind 
the  meagerness  of  his  equipment,  can  fully  appreciate  the 
marvelous  character  of  this  long  and  eventful  voyage  down 
an  unknown  river,  through  a hostile  country,  deprived  not 
only  of  chart  and  compass,  but  also  of  the  most  necessary 
means  of  subsistence.  It  is  not  without  reason  that  in 
intrepidity  of  action,  fertility  of  resource,  and  perseverance 
in  the  face  of  untold  difficulties  this  enterprise  has  been 
ranked  with  the  epoch-making  achievement  of  Colum- 
bus. 

Poetic  justice  seems  to  require  that  the  majestic  river 
which  was  first  navigated  by  the  dauntless  Spanish  ex- 
plorer should  still  retain  its  early  appellation — Rio  Orel- 
lana— and  not  the  triple  and  confusing  name — Maranon- 
Solimoes-Amazon — which  it  now  bears.  But  it  is  probably 
expecting  too  much  to  see  justice  accorded  to  Orellana, 
when  it  has  been  denied  to  the  illustrious  discoverer  of  the 
New  World  which,  instead  of  being  called  Columbia,  as  it 
should  have  been,  lias,  by  one  of  those  curious  freaks  of 
fortune  which  pass  all  understanding,  been  named  America. 

And  I recalled  the  happy  days,  in  years  gone  by,  that 
I had  spent  in  navigating,  almost  from  its  fountain-head 
in  the  Peruvian  Andes  to  the  ocean,  this  stupendous  water- 
course, which  had  ever  possessed  for  me,  even  from  my 
boyhood,  a fascination  which  I could  never  explain  or  de- 
scribe. I recalled  all  the  marvels  of  fauna  and  flora,  all 
the  beauties  of  flowers  and  winged  creatures,  all  the  gor- 

1 For  a somewhat  extended  account  of  Orellana ’s  wonderful  exploit,  the 
reader  is  referred  to  the  author ’s  ‘ ‘ Along  the  Andes  and  Down  the  Amazon,  ’ ’ 
in  the  chapter  entitled  “Romance  of  the  Amazon,”  New  York,  1911. 

27 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


geousness  of  river  and  sky  which  had  been  my  delight  for 
months  and  which  I would  fain  enjoy  again.  Only  the 
beautiful  German  word  Selinsuclit — intense  longing,  ardent 
craving — expressed  the  feelings  that  then  dominated  me, 
for  I felt  then,  as  never  before,  that  only  far  up  the  great, 
the  mysterious  Amazon  could  I really  find,  as  a traveler, 
the  land  of  the  heart’s  desire. 

Shortly  after  entering  the  Southern  Hemisphere  a num- 
ber of  us,  including  a patriotic  New  York  lady  and  a 
learned  professor  from  a western  university,  were  stand- 
ing at  the  port  gunwale  watching  the  gambols  of  sportive 
dolphins  and  the  flights  of  nimble  flying-fishes,  which  were 
apparently  striving  to  outstrip  our  steamer,  when  the  lady 
suddenly  inquired  of  the  college  don:  “Why  is  it  that  we 
have  met  so  few  steamers  since  we  left  New  York?  And 
why  is  it  that  we  see  no  vessels  flying  the  American  flag?” 

“These,  madam,”  replied  the  professor,  “are  questions 
which  are  asked  by  every  American  who  visits  this  part  of 
the  world— questions  that  our  countrymen  have  been  ask- 
ing of  our  legislators  in  Congress  for  years.  Time  was 
when  the  Stars  and  Stripes  were  to  be  seen  everywhere 
along  this  route  from  Sandy  Hook  to  Cape  Horn  and  from 
Cape  Horn  to  the  Golden  Gate.  Now  one  may  sail  over 
this  same  course  for  a whole  year  without  seeing  his  coun- 
try’s flag  even  once,  except,  mayhap,  on  a man  of  war. 

“After  we  reach  Bahia,  we  shall  note  a change.  Then 
we  shall  see  many  vessels  of  all  sizes,  for  there  we  shall 
cross  the  great  ocean  highway  between  South  America  and 
Europe.  Then,  too,  we  shall  find  splendid  steamers  flying 
the  British,  French,  German,  Dutch,  Spanish  and  Italian 
flags — vessels  rivaling  in  size,  speed  and  equipment  the 
fleet  of  leviathans  that  almost  daily  pass  our  great  Statue 
of  Liberty — but  they  all — with  one  or  two  exceptions — ply 
between  South  America  and  the  ports  of  the  Old  World. 
And  on  this  southern  highway  we  shall  meet  merchant  ves- 
sels almost  as  frequently  as  on  the  North  Atlantic  course, 

28 


IN  THE  CRADLE  OF  THE  DEEP 


but  in  every  case,  as  in  every  South  American  port,  the 
Stars  and  Stripes  will  be  conspicuous  by  their  absence. 

“It  is,  indeed,  time  that  Congress  should  do  something 
to  restore  our  American  merchant  marine  to  something  of 
its  former  prestige.  We  have  deliberately  turned  over  the 
vast  commerce  of  South  America  to  our  European  com- 
petitors, and  are  annually  forfeiting  untold  millions  as  a 
consequence.  What  may  be  the  best  way  of  retrieving  our 
former  maritime  glory,  whether  it  be  by  ship-subsidy  or  a 
change  in  our  registry  laws,  let  our  legislators  decide,  but 
the  adoption  of  either  one,  or  both,  of  these  expedients 
seems  preferable  to  permitting  our  trade  rivals  to  mo- 
nopolize commerce  which  naturally  belongs  to  the  people  of 
the  United  States,  and  which  they  should  spare  no  effort 
to  secure  and  control.” 

The  professor,  in  the  words  quoted,  but  voiced  the  sen- 
timents of  all  intelligent  and  patriotic  Americans  who  visit 
South  America,  and  who  live  in  the  hope  that  Congress  will, 
at  no  distant  day,  enact  laws  which  will  enable  our  mer- 
chant marine  to  take  its  proper  place  not  only  in  the  ports 
of  South  America  but  in  all  other  ports  of  the  world  as 
well. 

Poets  extol  the  delights  of  “a  life  on  the  ocean  wave” 
and  the  joys  of  “a  home  on  the  rolling  deep,”  but  these 
delights  and  joys  soon  pall  on  one,  even  when  one  is  pro- 
vided with  all  the  comforts  and  distractions  of  our  modern 
palatial  ocean-flyers.  For  frequently  the  only  visible  ob- 
jects outside  the  ship,  for  a week  or  more,  are  the  sea 
and  sky,  and  then  “old  Ocean’s  gray  and  melancholy 
waste,”  in  spite  of  the  vaunted  attractions  of  its  surging 
billows,  soon  ceases  to  have  the  charms  ascribed  to  it  by 
those  who  know  it  only  from  hearsay  or  limited  experience. 
This  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  the  least  indication  of  life 
or  suggestion  of  novelty  on  the  sea’s  dreary  expanse  is  sure 
to  arrest  the  instant  attention  of  passengers  and  crew  alike. 
A sail,  a streak  of  smoke  in  the  distant  horizon,  a school  of 

29 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


porpoises,  a spouting  whale — anything  that  exhibits  life 
and  movement — will  at  once  draw  animated  crowds  to  deck 
and  porthole  and  hold  them  there  until  the  objects  in  ques- 
tion are  lost  in  the  distance.  No  matter  how  much  one 
loves  the  sea,  one  soon  longs  for  the  attractions  of  terra 
firma — fragrant  gardens  and  singing  birds,  smiling  mead- 
ows dotted  with  happy  flocks  and  herds,  hives  of  industry 
and  homes  of  peace  and  culture,  and  all  else  that  makes 
the  land  one  loves  a thing  of  beauty  and  a joy  forever. 

I must,  however,  refer  to  one  feature  of  our  voyage  that 
always  constituted  a delightful  break  in  the  monotony  of 
the  ocean  waste,  and  that  was  the  really  beautiful  sunsets 
with  which  we  were  often  favored,  especially  when  we  hove 
in  sight  of  the  Brazilian  coast.  So  gorgeous  indeed  were 
the  light  and  color  displays  of  the  sun  when  his  course 
was  nearly  run,  that  many  of  us  were  wont  to  gather  on 
the  starboard  quarter  to  witness  his  departing  glories,  shed 
on  rock  and  hill  and  wave,  when  the  vanishing  orb  of  day 
was,  of  a truth, 

“Not,  as  in  northern  climes,  obscurely  bright, 

But  one  unclouded  blaze  of  living  light.” 


CHAPTER  III 


BRAZIL’S  OLDEST  CAPITAL 

In  a letter  to  his  friend,  Piero  Goderini  Gonfaloniere  of 
Florence,  the  famous  navigator,  Amerigo  Vespucci,  tells  us 
how,  during  his  fourth  voyage  to  the  New  World,  he  dis- 
covered a harbor  which  he  called  the  Bahia  de  Todos  los 
Santos.  Like  many  other  names  of  places  in  South  Amer- 
ica, the  original  appellation  of  the  harbor — Bay  of  All 
Saints — has  been  abbreviated  and,  for  a long  time,  has 
been  known  simply  as  Bahia,  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese 
word  for  bay.  The  town  which  was  subsequently  founded 
on  this  bay  was  at  first  called  by  the  Portuguese  Sao  Sal- 
vador da  Bahia  de  Todos  Os  Santos.  But  the  town,  like 
the  harbor  and  the  state  in  which  it  is  situated,  is  now  also 
known  as  Bahia.  Considering  the  size  and  beauty  of  the 
harbor  and  the  perfect  shelter  it  affords  to  shipping,  its 
name  Bahia — as  if  it  meant  a bay  par  excellence — is  not 
altogether  unjustified.  For,  with  the  exception  of  the 
matchless  harbor  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  it  is  probably  the  best 
and  most  attractive  bay  in  the  Southern  Continent. 

Our  first  view  of  this  famous  haven  was  on  a beautiful 
morning  in  October,  just  a fortnight,  almost  to  the  hour, 
after  we  had  left  New  York.  Everyone  was  on  deck  as  our 
steamer  glided  from  the  ocean  into  the  bay,  and  few  there 
were  who  could  suppress  exclamations  of  surprise  and  de- 
light when  the  magnificent  panorama  composed  of  city  and 
harbor  burst  on  their  enchanted  vision.  The  bay  is  nearly 
thirty  miles  long  and  from  ten  to  twenty  in  width.  It  is 
dotted  with  a number  of  charming  islets  and  surrounded 
by  a coastline  clothed  with  tropical  verdure.  The  city — the 

31 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


third  largest  in  Brazil — is  divided  into  the  “lower”  and 
the  “upper”  town,  and,  as  seen  from  the  steamer,  presents 
a picture  of  rarest  beauty.  The  lower  town  consists  of  but 
a single  narrow  street  along  the  water ’s  edge  and  reminds 
one  much  of  an  old  thoroughfare  in  Cadiz  or  Lisbon.  It 
is  the  chief  business  street  of  the  city  and  is  connected  with 
the  upper  town,  which  is  about  two  hundred  feet  above 
sea  level,  by  an  inclined  roadway  and  by  large  elevators. 

The  most  conspicuous  objects  as  one  approaches  Bahia 
from  the  ocean  are  its  churches,  convents  and  palm  trees, 
These,  silhouetted  against  a bright  blue  sky,  are  each  a 
thing  of  beauty,  and  each  a perfect  picture  worthy  of  care- 
ful study.  All  told,  there  is  probably  no  city  in  South 
America,  not  even  Montevideo,  that  greets  the  ocean  way- 
farer with  such  a splendid  vista  as  does  Sao  Salvador  da 
Bahia  de  Todos  Os  Santos. 

We  had  scarcely  come  to  anchor,  when  we  wTere  sur- 
rounded by  a number  of  gayly  decked  craft  of  all  kinds. 
Among  them  was  a beautiful  launch  bearing  a committee 
of  government  officials  who  had  been  delegated  to  welcome 
our  party  to  Bahia.  After  cordial  greetings  had  been  ex- 
changed, we  boarded  the  launch,  and  were  soon  on  shore, 
where  we  were  at  once  surrounded  by  applauding  thou- 
sands, who  had  assembled  to  bid  us  welcome  to  Brazil. 
Everywhere  Brazilian  and  American  flags  were  flying  and 
bands  were  playing  the  national  airs  of  the  United  States 
of  the  North.  The  swaying  multitude  was  so  eager  to 
catch  a glimpse  of  our  ex-President  and,  if  possible,  to 
grasp  his  hand,  that  it  was  with  difficulty  that  we  were 
able  to  reach  the  carriages  that  were  waiting  to  convey  us 
to  the  palace  of  the  Governor.  During  our  long  drive 
through  the  city — for  the  Governor’s  palace  is  quite  a dis- 
tance from  the  landing  place — there  were  the  same  demon- 
strations of  joy  as  at  the  quay.  Houses  were  decorated 
with  bunting,  and  the  colors  of  Brazil  and  the  United  States 
were  gracefully  intertwined  on  public  and  private  buildings 

32 


BRAZIL’S  OLDEST  CAPITAL 


as  well.  Everybody  seemed  to  be  in  the  street,  or  at  the 
windows  of  the  houses  lining  the  thoroughfares  through 
which  we  passed,  all  waving  flags  and  handkerchiefs  and 
all  greeting  us  with  words  of  welcome.  When  it  is  remem- 
bered that  the  population  of  the  city  is  not  less  than  a 
quarter  of  a million  people,  one  can  have  some  idea  of  the 
magnitude  of  the  demonstration  in  honor  of  the  visitors 
from  the  North. 

After  paying  our  respects  to  the  Governor,  who  gave  us 
all  a most  cordial  reception,  we  were  taken  in  automobiles 
to  the  Municipal  Palace,  which,  like  the  official  home  of  the 
Governor,  is  a large  and  imposing  structure.  Here  we  met 
the  members  of  the  city  council  who  impressed  us  as  being 
a specially  intelligent  and  earnest  body  of  men.  One  of 
them  made,  in  English,  an  address  of  welcome  to  Colonel 
Roosevelt  to  which  an  appropriate  response  was  made  by 
the  Colonel  in  his  most  felicitous  style. 

When  these  formal  visits  were  terminated,  our  hosts 
kindly  escorted  us  through  the  city  and  gave  us  an  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  the  most  attractive  features  of  this  ancient 
metropolis.  For  Bahia  is  not  only  the  oldest  city  of  Brazil 
— I exclude  certain  towns  and  villages  which  were  of  earlier 
date — but  it  was  for  more  than  two  centuries  the  nation’s 
capital.  More  than  fifty  years  before  Hendrik  Hudson 
dropped  anchor  in  the  river  which  now  bears  his  name, 
Tliome  de  Sousa,  first  governor-general  of  Brazil,  laid  the 
foundations  of  Sao  Salvador  on  the  heights  above  the  Bay 
of  All  Saints.  And  more  than  a hundred  years  before  the 
Pilgrim  Fathers  set  foot  on  Plymouth  Rock,  a shipwrecked 
Portuguese  by  the  name  of  Diogo  Alvares  had  established 
himself  here  among  the  Indians,  where  he  lived  among  them 
in  patriarchal  style,  and  where  he  became  the  father  of  a 
numerous  progeny.  Indeed  there  are  not  a few  people  still 
living  in  Bahia  who  are  proud  to  claim  this  same  Diogo 
Alvares  as  their  ancestor.  And  why  not?  Diogo  Alvares 
was  the  virtual  founder  of  their  city,  for  he  was  the  first 

33 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Portuguese  to  make  liis  home  here,  and  the  one  who  was 
chiefly  instrumental  in  establishing  friendly  relations  be- 
tween the  Indians,  of  whom  he  became  the  chief,  and  those 
of  his  countrymen  who  settled  here  at  a later  date.  To  be 
able  to  trace  his  lineage  back  to  the  original  white  inhabi- 
tant of  Sao  Salvador  and  to  the  one  who  contributed  more 
than  anyone  else  to  the  peaceful  colonizing  of  the  country 
round  about  is  a matter  of  legitimate  pride  for  a Bahian. 
Has  he  not,  indeed,  greater  reason  to  be  proud  of  this  an- 
cestor of  his,  who  was  not  only  a protector  and  benefactor 
of  the  Indians,  but  was  also  a loyal  and  energetic  supporter 
of  the  Portuguese  when  his  influence  with  the  indigenes 
was  all-powerful,  than  have  many  of  the  noble  families  of 
Europe  whose  forebears  were  either  robber  barons  or  sor- 
did condottieri? 

To  one  who  visits  South  America  for  the  first  time,  the 
oldest  part  of  the  city  is  the  most  interesting.  Its  one- 
story  houses,  with  their  flaring  colors  of  red,  green,  blue, 
yellow,  pink,  and  saffron,  and  the  riot  of  tropical  plants 
and  flowers  which  are  seen  in  every  dooryard,  and  which, 
strange  as  it  may  appear,  seem  to  harmonize  with  the 
garish  colors  of  the  buildings,  are  sure  to  arrest  attention. 
Some  of  the  more  pretentious  residences  are  faced  with 
tiles  of  more  subdued  colors,  and,  seen  in  the  midst  of 
stately  palms,  umbrageous  mango  trees,  and  blooming 
shrubbery,  are  really  attractive. 

But,  as  in  other  cities  of  the  Southern  Continent,  the 
most  notable  structures  are  the  churches  and  convents.  One 
of  the  prettiest  churches  is  La  Piedade,  whose  polished 
dome,  modeled  after  that  of  the  superb  cathedral  of  Santa 
Maria  dei  Fiori,  in  Florence,  is  one  of  the  first  objects 
visible  from  the  deck  of  the  steamer  as  it  enters  the  harbor. 
Among  the  oldest  churches  is  that  of  Nossa  Senhora  da 
Victoria,  which  is  said  to  date  back  to  1630  and  to  occupy 
the  site  of  a chapel  built  by  Diogo  Alvares — called  by  the 
Indians  Caramurii — in  commemoration  of  a victory  which 

34 


BRAZIL’S  OLDEST  CAPITAL 


he  had  gained  over  his  enemies.  The  church,  however, 
which  every  visitor  is  invited  to  visit  first  is  that  of  Sao 
Francisco.  It  is  noted  for  its  wonderful  wood  carvings — 
the  work  of  native  artisans — which  adorn  the  sanctuary 
and  the  numerous  side  chapels,  but  still  more  for  its  ex- 
quisite tiling,  which  covers  the  lower  part  of  the  walls  in 
the  interior  both  of  the  church  and  the  adjoining  monas- 
tery. They  were  made  in  Holland  and  are  enriched  with 
splendidly  executed  scenes  suggested  by  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments.  All  the  members  of  our  party  were  delighted 
with  this  really  unique  decoration  and  were  loath  to  tear 
themselves  away  from  the  contemplation  of  its  manifold 
beauties. 

There  are  said  to  be  no  fewer  than  a hundred  churches 
in  Bahia.  Many  of  the  largest  and  richest  of  them  were 
built  by  the  various  religious  orders  which  settled  in  the 
city  shortly  after  its  foundation.  It  was  here  that  the  first 
Episcopal  see  was  established,  and  the  primacy  of  honor 
among  the  bishoprics  of  Brazil  is  still  held  by  this  ancient 
see  of  Sao  Salvador. 

Until  recent  years  Bahia  has  also  held  the  primacy  of 
education  and  culture.  This  is  now  divided  between  Rio 
Janeiro  and  Sao  Paulo,  although  the  schools  of  Bahia  still 
enjoy  an  enviable  reputation.  The  trade  school  under  the 
direction  of  the  Salesian  Fathers  and  the  Academy  of  Medi- 
cine, which  is  celebrated  throughout  Brazil,  are  both  well 
worthy  of  a visit.  Besides  these,  there  are  law  and  agricul- 
tural colleges,  normal  and  polytechnic  institutes,  an  acad- 
emy of  fine  arts  and  a conservatory  of  music,  all  of  which 
are  fine  specimens  of  architecture  and  well  provided  with 
libraries,  museums  and  other  necessary  appurtenances  of 
thoroughly  up-to-date  institutions  of  instruction.  All  the 
schools  are  attended  by  a large  number  of  pupils.  The 
Lyceum  of  Arts  and  Trades  alone  counts  almost  two  thou- 
sand students.  According  to  the  latest  official  reports,  the 
number  of  educational  institutions  of  all  kinds  in  the  city 

35 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


and  state  of  Bahia  totals  something  more  than  eleven  hun- 
dred— a much  larger  number  than  is  usually  credited  to 
this  part  of  the  world. 

At  the  time  of  our  visit  to  Bahia,  the  city  was  in  the 
hands  of  a Brazilian  Haussmann.  Streets  were  being 
widened  and  improved ; old,  one-story  buildings  were  giving 
place  to  large  and  lofty  structures,  and  the  venerable  old 
capital  was  rapidly  being  embellished  and  assuming  a mod- 
ern aspect.  And,  although  the  day  of  our  arrival  was  ob- 
served as  a general  festa,  it  was  easy  to  see  that  Bahia  is 
a stirring  metropolis  and  an  important  center  of  industry 
and  commerce.  Its  chief  exports  are  sugar,  coffee,  cocoa 
and  tobacco.  I saw  a German  steamer  plying  between 
South  America  and  Hamburg  loaded  with  no  less  than 
twenty  thousand  bales  of  leaf  tobacco.  This  cargo  par- 
ticularly interested  me  for  two  reasons;  first,  because  its 
production  was  controlled  by  Germans,  and  secondly,  be- 
cause it  was  carried  to  European  markets  in  German  bot- 
toms. This,  however,  is  one  of  numberless  instances  that 
might  be  cited  of  the  activity  of  the  merchants  and  ship- 
owners of  the  Fatherland  in  every  center  of  trade  and  in- 
dustry in  South  America  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific 
and  from  the  Caribbean  to  the  Straits  of  Magellan.  They 
are  everywhere  making  inroads  on  the  business  of  their 
competitors  and  breaking  up  monopolies  that  were  long 
under  the  control  of  French  and  British  syndicates.  But 
they  deserve  their  success,  for  no  business  men  in  South 
America  are  more  industrious  and  enterprising  than  the 
Germans,  and  no  steamship  companies  are  more  astute  and 
accommodating  than  those  whose  headquarters  are  in 
Bremen  and  Hamburg. 

One  of  Bahia’s  most  interesting  items  of  export — 
and  one  that  is  not  usually  associated  with  this  port — is 
diamonds.  Although  Kimberley,  for  some  years  past,  has 
eclipsed  the  diamond  fields  of  Brazil,  it  is,  nevertheless,  a 
fact  that  some  of  the  finest  diamonds  in  existence  are  from 

36 


, , ' V V;i' 


Bahia  Seen  from  the  Harbor. 


III 

(fin 

Lakgo  Costa  Ahves.  Bahia, 


BRAZIL’S  OLDEST  CAPITAL 


this  great  republic.  Among  them  are  the  famous  gems, 
Star  of  the  South,  Star  of  Minas,  and  the  Dresden  diamond. 
These,  however,  were  all  from  the  state  of  Minas  Geraes. 
But,  notwithstanding  this  fact,  Bahia  has  produced  more 
diamonds  than  any  of  the  several  other  diamond  states  of 
Brazil  and  has  made  fortunes  for  the  lucky  owners  of 
its  diamond  fields.  And  it  has  also  produced  the  largest 
of  these  precious  stones.  Indeed,  the  largest  Carbonado, 
or  black  diamond,  ever  found,  came  from  this  state  and 
weighed  one  hundred  and  twenty  carats  more  than  the  cele- 
brated Cullinan  diamond  from  South  Africa.  Another 
diamond,  weighing  almost  six  hundred  carats,  was  found 
in  1890  and  netted  the  fortunate  miner  nearly  $100,000.  In 
the  town  of  Lavras  Diamantinas  the  sole  occupation  of  its 
inhabitants  is  diamond  hunting. 

The  first  cargo  of  merchandise  taken  from  what  is  now 
known  as  Brazil,  to  Portugal,  went,  if  not  from  the  Bay  of 
All  Saints,  from  a point  not  far  south  of  it.  It  was  carried 
in  the  vessels  of  Vespucci  on  his  return  to  Lisbon  after  his 
fourth  voyage.1  This  cargo,  aside  from  a large  number 
of  parrots  and  monkeys,  consisted  exclusively  of  the  dye- 
wood  known  as  brazil.  And,  strange  to  relate,  it  was  this 
particular  species  of  the  bean  family — Pao  Brasil 2 — which 


1 In  his  letter  to  Piero  Soderini,  giving  an  account  of  his  fourth  voyage  to 

the  New  World,  Vespucci  writes:  “In  eo  Portu  bresilico  puppes  nostras 

onustas  efficiendo  quinque  perstitimus  menses.” 

2 As  a matter  of  fact,  Vicente  Yauez  Pinzon,  an  old  associate  of  Columbus, 
and  the  commander  of  the  Nina  in  the  great  Admiral’s  first  voyage  in  1492, 
was  the  discoverer  of  the  region  now  known  as  Brazil.  For,  two  months  before 
Cabral  sighted  Monte  Pascoal,  near  Porto  Seguro,  the  Spanish  explorer  had 
sailed  along  the  coast  of  South  America  from  Cape  Sao  Augustin  to  the  island 
of  Trinidad,  facing  the  estuary  of  the  Orinoco.  It  was  during  this  voyage 
that  he  reconnoitered  the  mouth  of  the  Amazon — which  he  imagined  to  be  a 
large  fresh-water  sea — to  which  the  Spanish  monarch,  in  his  capitulation  with 
Pinzon,  actually  gave  the  name  of  Santa  Maria  de  la  Mar  Dulce.  By  virtue, 
however,  of  the  Convention  of  Tordesillas,  the  Land  of  the  Holy  Cross  was 
awarded  to  Portugal.  Pinzon ’s  discovery  was  thus  of  little  practical  value  to 
his  country.  Portuguese  and  Brazilian  writers  virtually  ignore  it  by  claiming 
Cabral  as  the  discoverer  of  Brazil. 


37 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


has  given  to  the  great  Brazilian  republic  the  name  it  now 
bears.  The  Portuguese  navigator,  Pedro  Alvares  Cabral, 
whom  the  people  of  Brazil  honor  as  the  discoverer  of  their 
country,  gave  it  the  name  of  Terra  de  Santa  Cruz,  and  as 
such  it  was  known  during  the  sixteenth  century  in  all  the 
countries  of  Europe  except  France.1  This  was  the  name 

1 M.  Paul  Gaffarel  adduces  the  name  Brazil — always  used  by  the  French, 
in  lieu  of  Terra  de  Santa  Cruz,  to  designate  the  land  discovered  by  Cabral — in 
support  of  his  ingenious  theory  that  his  countrymen,  and  not  the  Portuguese, 
were  the  real  discoverers  of  South  America.  For  he  will  have  it  that  the 
French  navigators  made  many  clandestine  voyages  to  this  part  of  the  world 
for  the  famous  dyewood  which  was  then  so  important  an  article  of  commerce, 
not  only  during  the  first  years  of  the  sixteenth,  but  also,  very  probably,  during 
the  closing  decade  of  the  fifteenth  century — Cf.  his  1 ‘ Histoire  du  Bresil  Fran- 
cais  au  Seizieme  Siecle,  Premiere  Partie,  ” Paris,  1878. 

Brazil,  as  a dyewood,  had  been  known  for  centuries  before  the  discovery 
of  America,  and,  by  a curious  chance,  the  name  of  the  product  was  applied  to 
the  country  producing  it.  But,  as  the  location  of  this  country,  which  was 
thought  to  be  somewhere  in  the  Atlantic,  was  not  exactly  known,  the  land  of 
Brazil  was  supposed  to  float  about  in  the  ocean,  changing  its  situation  with  the 
progress  of  discovery,  as  did  the  Isles  of  the  Blest  in  ancient  times,  and  the 
roving  Island  of  St.  Brendan  at  a later  period.  The  memory  of  this  wander- 
ing Island  of  Brazil  was  perpetuated,  until  a few  decades  ago,  in  certain  Eng- 
lish and  German  charts,  by  Brazil  Bock,  a mass  of  basalt,  which  was  located  a 
few  degrees  west  of  the  western  coast  of  Ireland. 

By  a curious  coincidence,  Chaucer,  a hundred  and  twenty  years  before 
South  America  was  sighted  by  Cabral  and  nearly  two  centuries  before  the  name 
Brazil  was  generally  accepted  for  the  land  he  had  discovered,  associates  the 
name  Brazil  with  that  of  Portugal,  as  is  seen  in  the  couplet: 

Him  nedeth  not  his  colour  for  to  dien 
With  Brazil,  ne  -with  grain  of  Portugal. 

Camoens  somewhere  sings  of  the  land  discovered  by  Cabral  as: 

Terra  de  Santa  Cruz  pouco  sabida, 

and  readers  of  the  “Lusiads”  will  recall  the  verses  in  the  tenth  canto  of  this 
immortal  epic  in  which  the  poet  refers  to  the  appanage  of  the  Portuguese 
Crown  in  the  New  World  as  follows: 

But  where  the  land  is  broadest  ye  shall  claim 
The  part  that  for  its  red  wood  is  renowned; 

Of  Santa  Cruz  ye  shall  bestow  the  name, 

Ye,  by  whose  fleet  that  region  first  was  found. 

And  this  great  epic,  be  it  remembered,  in  which  Portugal’s  American  pos- 
session was  designated  as  the  Land  of  the  Holy  Cross,  was  not  published  until 
1572. 


38 


BRAZIL’S  OLDEST  CAPITAL 


given  it  by  King  Manoel,  tbe  Great,  when  lie  formally  noti- 
fied the  sovereigns  of  Spain  of  Cabral’s  discovery,  and 
the  name  by  which  it  was  designated  by  the  chief  cartog- 
raphers of  the  epoch.  The  eminent  Portuguese  historian, 
Joao  de  Barros,  declared  that  the  change  of  name  from 
Terra  de  Santa  Cruz  to  Brazil,  “was  inspired  by  the 
demon,  for  the  vile  wood  which  dyes  cloth  red  is  not 
worth  the  Blood  shed  for  our  redemption.”  1 

Cabral  found  a haven  of  refuge  in  the  land  he  had  so 
unexpectedly  discovered,  at  a point  about  two  degrees  to 
the  south  of  Bahia,  and  to  this  he  gave  the  name  Porto 
Seguro,  which  it  still  retains.  But  all  that  remains  of  the 
noble  name  which  he  gave  to  the  vast  region  that  he  took 
possession  of  in  the  name  of  his  sovereign  is  a small  river 
near  Porto  Seguro,  and  a small  town  near  its  mouth,  both 
of  which  still  bear  the  name  of  Santa  Cruz. 

One  who  visits  Bahia  for  the  first  time  is  sure  to  be 
greatly  impressed  by  the  large  proportion  of  the  colored 
population  which  is  everywhere  visible.  In  some  sections 
of  the  city,  judging  by  the  preponderating  number  of  Ne- 
groes and  mulattoes,  one  would  almost  fancy  oneself  in  a 
town  of  Haiti  or  Santo  Domingo.  These  are  the  descend- 
ants of  the  slaves  who  in  colonial  times  were  brought  from 
Portuguese  West  Africa.  No  reliable  statistics  are  avail- 
able, but  it  is  estimated  that  more  than  four-fifths  of  the 
inhabitants  have  Negro  blood  in  their  veins.  This  is  true 
also  of  Pernambuco,  the  flourishing  capital  of  the  state 
adjoining  on  the  north,  and,  in  a great  measure,  of  Ceara 
and  Para  as  well. 

There  are,  indeed,  very  few  of  the  older  Portuguese 
families  of  Bahia  who  do  not  exhibit  traces  of  Indian  or 
Negro  blood.  The  reason  is  simple.  The  first  conquerors 


1 Como  que  importava  mas  o nome  de  hum  pao  que  tinge  pannos,  que 
d’aquelle  pao  que  deu  tintura  a todolos  sacramentos  per  que  somos  salvos,  por 
o sangue  de  Christo  Ieso  que  nelle  foi  derramado.  ‘ ‘ Decada  Primeira  da 
Asia,”  Fol.  89,  de  Joao  de  Barros,  Lisbon,  1628. 

39 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


among  the  Portuguese,  as  among  the  Spaniards,  were  sol- 
diers of  fortune  or  adventurers  who  went  to  the  New  World 
without  wives  or  families.  Many,  probably  the  majority  of 
them,  married  Indian  women  and  thus  gave  rise  to  that 
large  percentage  of  inhabitants  variously  known  in  Brazil 
as  mestizos,  mamelucos  and  curibocos.  Between  these  half- 
castes  and  the  Negroes  alliances  were  also  formed,  as  alli- 
ances were  formed  between  the  Indian  and  the  Negro,  and 
the  Negro  and  the  white  man.  The  result  of  all  this  mis- 
cegenation is  a series  of  transitional  types  that  can  be  ex- 
pressed only  by  the  rich  terminology  employed  in  Brazil. 
In  English,  we  should  not  find  enough  difference  between 
the  issue  of  an  Indian  and  a Negress,  as  compared  with  that 
of  a Negro  and  an  Indian  woman,  to  justify  two  distinct 
denominations,  but  Brazilians  are  differently  minded,  and, 
accordingly,  designate  the  first  cross  as  a carbureto  and 
the  second  as  a cafuso.  To  such  an  extent  has  miscegena- 
tion prevailed  in  some  of  the  seaboard  cities  between  Bahia 
and  Para  that  full-blooded  whites,  Negroes  or  Indians  are 
rather  the  exception  than  the  rule. 

The  result,  in  most  cases,  has  been  essentially  the  same 
as  in  the  alliance  of  the  French  Canadians  with  the  Indians 
in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  United  States — a lowering 
of  the  higher  rather  than  an  elevation  of  the  lower  ele- 
ments. Among  notable  exceptions  to  this  tendency  to  de- 
terioration, as  the  result  of  race  fusion,  are  the  Paulistas  of 
Southern  Brazil  and  the  inhabitants  of  Paraguay. 

One  of  the  consequences  of  this  amalgamation  of  the 
three  peoples,  is  that  race  and  color  do  not  signify  so  much 
in  Brazil  as  with  us  in  the  United  States.  Whites,  Indians 
and  Negroes  associate  together  in  a way  which  would  be 
quite  impossible  with  us,  and  which  an  old  Virginia  planter 
would  condemn  as  an  abomination  unutterable.  Some  of 
the  highest  government  and  municipal  offices  in  Bahia,  as 
in  other  parts  of  Brazil,  are  held  by  Negroes  and  half- 
castes,  and  they  attend  public  functions  on  a footing  of  ab- 

40 


BRAZIL’S  OLDEST  CAPITAL 


solute  equality  with  the  whites  who  have  preserved  their 
racial  purity  intact.  One  of  the  leading  members  on  the 
reception  committee,  which  came  to  greet  our  party  before 
we  landed,  was  a prominent  government  official  who  was  a 
pure  Negro.  He  took  a conspicuous  part  in  all  the  enter- 
tainments that  were  prepared  for  us  during  our  visit  and 
was  always  treated  by  his  companions  with  the  same  re- 
spect and  deference  as  if  he  had  been  a Filho  do  Reino — a 
native  of  Portugal — or  a Filho  da  Terra — that  is,  one  who 
is  born  in  Brazil  but  of  Portuguese  descent — one,  therefore, 
who  is  preeminently  a Brazilian  by  birth,  language  and  cul- 
ture. 

Truth  to  tell,  there  is  not  a little  to  say  in  favor  of  the 
fusion  of  the  European  and  African  races  in  Brazil.  For 
some  of  the  most  distinguished  men  the  country  has  pro- 
duced have  had  a strain  of  Negro  blood  in  their  veins. 
This  is  evidenced  by  looking  over  the  long  list  of  literary 
men,  artists,  poets,  historians,  jurisconsults,  men  of  science, 
novelists  and  politicians  in  which  the  amalgamation  of  the 
white  and  the  black  has  been  most  pronounced,  as,  for  in- 
stance, in  Bahia,  Pernambuco,  Ceara  and  Maranliao.  From 
the  Negro  the  Portuguese  receives,  among  other  traits,  a 
more  lively  imagination,  and  a more  perfect  adaptability  to 
the  climate  of  the  tropics — traits  that  are  sure  to  impress 
the  traveler  in  all  parts  of  Brazil,  but  more  particularly  in 
those  regions  in  which  there  has  been  the  most  complete 
mixture  of  the  whites  and  blacks.  General  Dumas,  whom 
Napoleon  called  “the  Horatius  Codes  of  the  Tyrol,”  and 
the  famous  dramatic  authors  and  novelists,  Dumas  Pere 
and  Dumas  Fils,  are  not  the  only  instances  in  which  a re- 
markable flowering  of  the  intellect  has  been  exhibited  by 
the  offspring  of  black  and  white  parents.  Brazil  can  show 
countless  instances  of  this  kind  in  every  department  of  in- 
tellectual activity.  What  will  be  the  final  outcome  of  this 
merging  of  the  two  races  in  Brazil  is,  of  course,  impos- 
sible to  forecast,  but  from  what  has  so  far  taken  place  the 

41 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


result  is  not  by  any  means  so  disastrous  as  we  in  the  United 
States  should  be  inclined  to  believe. 

It  is  usually  said  that  there  is  no  “Negro  Question”  in 
Brazil.  This  assertion,  however,  requires  qualification. 
There  is  not  in  Brazil,  for  the  reasons  already  indicated, 
a Negro  Question  in  the  sense  in  which  it  exists  in  the 
United  States  and  in  the  West  Indies.  But,  notwithstand- 
ing the  admixture  of  the  white  and  the  Negro  in  a large 
percentage  of  the  Brazilian  population,  and  notwithstand- 
ing the  fact  that  the  whites  and  blacks  generally  associate 
on  a footing  of  equality,  it  is,  nevertheless,  certain  that 
among  the  more  exclusive  families  of  European  origin, 
there  is  the  same  antipathy — although  not  so  intense — to 
the  Negro  as  in  our  own  country;  and  for  them,  as  well  as 
for  our  northern  people,  a solvent  for  race  uncongeniality 
is  yet  to  be  found. 

As  an  illustration  of  this  antipathy,  I may  refer  to  an 
occurrence  in  Bahia,  which,  shortly  after  our  visit  there, 
set  the  whole  city  in  an  uproar.  The  director  of  a private 
school  declined  to  receive  a colored  boy  among  his  white 
pupils,  and  at  once  he  was  denounced  as  one  violating  the 
spirit  of  the  law  which  recognizes  no  legal  distinction  be- 
tween blacks  and  whites.  Long  editorials  in  the  local  pa- 
pers protested  against  the  director’s  discrimination  as  an 
intolerable  outrage,  and  demanded  that  the  offender  should 
forthwith  be  punished  in  the  most  drastic  manner. 

Apropos  of  this  antipathy,  which  manifests  itself  in 
spite  of  laws,  customs,  and  long  and  intimate  association 
of  the  two  races  in  public  and  private  life,  a story  is  told 
of  Dom  Pedro  II,  whose  memory  is  still  held  in  benediction 
in  all  parts  of  the  republic.  In  one  of  the  last  entertain- 
ments given  by  him  in  the  imperial  palace  before  his  ban- 
ishment from  Brazil  he  observed  a mulatto,  who  held  a high 
official  position,  standing  in  the  corner  and  not  daring  to 
take  part  in  the  function.  The  emperor,  divining  the  cause 
of  the  official’s  backwardness,  immediately  presented  him  to 

42 


BRAZIL’S  OLDEST  CAPITAL 


his  daughter  in  order  that  he  might  have  a partner  for  the 
dance.  I do  not  vouch  for  the  authenticity  of  the  story,  but 
it  is  told  to  illustrate  the  importance  which  even  Dom  Pedro 
attached  to  having  his  subjects  meet  one  another  on  a 
footing  of  equality,  regardless  of  race  or  color. 

Still,  in  spite  of  the  mutual  tolerance  which  dates  back 
to  the  early  colonial  period,  in  spite  of  long  association 
together  in  schools,  societies,  and  offices  of  public  trust,  in 
spite  of  laws  and  traditions  that  make  for  union  and  equal- 
ity, there  is  yet,  especially  among  the  “four  hundred”  of 
the  white  population  in  the  larger  cities,  a decided  disin- 
clination to  meet  Negroes  socially  on  the  same  footing  as 
Europeans,  no  matter  what  may  be  their  attainments  or 
how  high  their  position  in  public  life.  To  this  extent  there 
is  a Negro  Question,  even  in  Brazil,  although  to  the  casual 
visitor  it  may  not  be  apparent. 

What  shall  be  the  character  and  destiny  of  the  new 
division  of  mankind  that  shall  eventually  issue  from  the 
melting-pot  of  the  three  ethnical  elements  in  Brazil — the 
white,  the  Negro  and  the  Indian — it  is  impossible  to  fore- 
cast, but,  none  the  less,  all  who  are  occupied  with  questions 
of  sociology,  ethnology  and  anthropology  will  watch  the 
experiment  with  the  deepest  interest.  The  result  may  be 
of  untold  value  in  supplying  a key  towards  the  solution  of 
many  social  and  economic  problems  which  have  long  con- 
fronted statesmen  and  philanthropists  in  every  part  of  the 
Western  Hemisphere. 

When  we  left  New  York,  among  those  who  came  to  see 
us  off  and  bid  us  Godspeed  was  His  Excellency  Don  Domi- 
cio  da  Gama,  the  Brazilian  Ambassador.  I had  conferred 
with  him  several  times  in  Washington  regarding  our  ex- 
pedition and  as  soon  as  he  learned  that  we  had  decided  to 
undertake  it  he  took  a very  active  interest  in  it.  He  at  once 
communicated  our  plans  to  his  government,  and  assured  me 
that  we  could  count  on  it  for  the  most  cordial  sympathy 
and  cooperation.  Knowing,  as  I did  from  past  experience, 

43 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


the  generous  and  enterprising  character  of  the  Brazilian 
people,  this  did  not  surprise  me.  But  there  was  a surprise 
in  store  for  me,  and  for  all  the  members  of  our  party  as 
well.  The  xYmbassador  gave  me  an  intimation  of  this,  in  a 
somewhat  veiled  manner,  as  he  bade  good-bye  to  me,  when 
he  said:  “I  think  you  will  get  some  idea  of  Brazilian  hos- 
pitality on  your  arrival  in  Bahia.” 

His  words,  as  subsequent  events  proved,  implied  far 
more  than  they  seemed  to  indicate,  for  no  one  could  have 
been  received  with  more  genuine  and  unfeigned  hospitality, 
from  the  governor  to  the  humblest  day  laborer,  than  were 
all  the  members  of  our  party.  But  it  was  not  until  we  met 
the  elite  of  the  city — men  and  women — at  a public  breakfast 
given  us,  that  we  realized  the  full  significance  of  the  am- 
bassador’s words.  The  repast  was  in  every  way  a most 
sumptuous  affair,  but  this  was  quite  surpassed  by  the  spirit 
of  good-fellowship  which  was  dominant,  and  the  delicate 
attentions  that  were  showered  on  the  guests  of  the  day. 
We  were  at  once  made  to  feel  that  we  were  among  friends 
and  among  people  who  have  a profound  admiration  for  our 
country  and  its  institutions,  and  who  are  eager  to  see  their 
republic  and  our  own  united  in  the  closest  bonds  of  amity 
and  comity. 

The  impression  left  on  all  of  us  by  this  historic  and 
picturesque  old  city  was  one  which  will  always  endure. 
During  our  all  too  short  visit,  we  had  seen  sufficient  evi- 
dence of  the  business  ability,  the  alertness  and  the  enter- 
prise of  its  citizens  to  justify  us  in  predicting  a continuance 
of  the  new  era  of  progress  and  prosperity  upon  which  it 
has  recently  entered,  and  in  looking  forward  to  its  assum- 
ing, at  no  distant  day,  a far  more  important  role  than  ever 
before  in  the  activities  of  international  commerce.  This 
thought  was  brought  home  to  me  with  special  force  as  I 
contemplated,  from  an  eminence,  the  magnificent  bay  of 
Todos  Os  Santos,  and  in  fancy  tried  to  picture  its  appear- 
ance when  the  projected  railroad  from  Tangier  to  the  great 

44 


BRAZIL’S  OLDEST  CAPITAL 


modern  port  of  the  French  on  the  coast  of  Senegal  shall  he 
completed  and  when  Europe  shall  be  brought  six  days 
nearer  to  Bahia  than  it  is  at  present.  It  will  then  occupy 
a more  commanding  position  than  ever  before  on  the  great 
trade  route  between  Europe  and  South  America,  and  then 
the  deep-laden  argosies  of  the  world  will  meet  in  its  land- 
locked harbor  and  give  to  the  ancient  capital  an  importance 
and  a prestige  among  the  great  marts  of  commerce  in  the 
Southern  Continent  that  it  has  never  known  during  the 
entire  course  of  its  long  and  eventful  history. 

I shall  never  forget  the  confession  made  to  me,  shortly 
before  we  returned  to  our  steamer,  by  a high  German 
official  at  Bahia,  after  he  had  requested  me  to  present  him 
to  Colonel  Roosevelt.  “I  am  pleased  to  make  the  acquain- 
tance of  Mr.  Roosevelt,  but  I am  sorry  he  has  come  to 
South  America.” 

“Why?”  I inquired  in  surprise. 

“Because  he  is  going  to  take  away  South  American  trade 
from  Germany.” 

I subsequently  heard  expression  given  to  the  same  fear 
by  Germans  in  other  parts  of  South  America.  They  evi- 
dently had  made  up  their  minds  that  Roosevelt  was  going 
to  imperil  the  valuable  commercial  relations  between  the 
Vaterland  and  the  various  South  American  republics,  and 
that  something  must  be  done  to  neutralize  this  effect  of  his 
visit. 

They  had  not  long  to  wait.  The  Kaiser  and  his  advisers 
had  evidently  taken  the  same  view  of  the  situation.  For 
scarcely  had  the  Roosevelt  expedition  entered  the  Brazilian 
jungle  when  the  hearts  of  German  merchants  and  shippers 
were  rejoiced  by  the  cheering  announcement  that  the  em- 
peror had  decided  to  counteract  Roosevelt’s  influence  in 
the  commercial  world  by  sending  his  brother,  Prince  Henry, 
in  the  magnificent  new  steamer  Trafalgar,  to  make  a 
friendly  visit  to  all  the  republics  in  which  the  illustrious 
North  American  was  supposed  to  have  spread  the  most  ef- 

45 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


fective  trade  propaganda.  To  judge  from  the  editorials 
in  the  German  press  anent  the  result  of  Prince  Henry’s 
visit,  our  German  friends  feel  that  they  can  still  continue 
to  pursue  their  usual  vocations  without  any  fear  of  finan- 
cial loss  through  the  advent  of  undesired  competitors. 

Our  party  received  here  a valuable  and  unexpected 
accession  in  the  person  of  Kermit  Roosevelt,  who,  for 
nearly  two  years,  had  been  making  his  home  in  Southern 
Brazil  and  who  had  come  to  Bahia  to  meet  his  parents, 
whom  he  had  not  seen  since  his  departure  from  his  native 
country.  We  were  all,  of  course,  delighted  to  have  such 
an  important  addition  to  our  ranks,  for  it  would  have  been 
impossible  to  have  found  one  who  so  well  rounded  out  our 
personnel  as  Kermit — as  he  was  always  known  among  us — 
or  who  was  better  qualified  by  previous  experience  to  pro- 
mote the  best  interests  of  our  expedition.  Besides  being 
a capital  hunter  and  one  who  enjoyed  life  in  the  wild 
as  well  as  any  of  us,  he  was  ever  a charming  companion 
and  one  who  could  always  be  counted  on  to  do  his  full  share 
of  work  whatever  might  be  its  character.  Of  unfailing 
bonhomie,  under  all  circumstances,  and  of  abounding  re- 
source in  the  most  trying  situations,  Kermit  contributed 
greatly  to  the  success  which  the  expedition  had  the  good 
fortune  to  achieve. 


CHAPTER  IV 


SOUTH  AMERICA’S  CITY  BEAUTIFUL 

Florence!  beneath  the  sun, 

Of  cities  fairest  one. 

It  is  thus  that  the  poet  Shelley,  in  his  beautiful  ‘ ‘ Ode  to 
Naples,”  apostrophizes  the  city  of  Dante,  Giotto  and 
Michael  Angelo.  As  I caught  the  first  glimpse,  from  its 
incomparable  harbor,  of  the  city  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  I re- 
called the  words  of  the  gifted  singer,  and  thought  that  the 
epithet  of  fairest  city  beneath  the  sun  could  now  most 
appropriately  be  applied  to  the  beauteous  capital  of 
Brazil. 

Although  no  one  told  us  that  we  were  entering  the  gate- 
way of  Guanabara  Bay,  on  which  the  great  metropolis  is 
situated,  there  could  be  no  doubt  about  it.  For,  looming 
up  before  us  on  our  port  quarter,  was  the  imposing  Pao 
d’Assucar — Sugar  Loaf  Mountain1 — with  which  everyone 
who  has  read  anything  about  South  America  is  familiar. 
This  towering  mass  of  granite,  which  rises  sheer  out  of 
the  water,  was,  it  is  related  by  a patriotic  Brazilian,  placed 
here  by  the  Creator,  after  he  had  fashioned  the  Bay  of 
Guanabara — as  the  harbor  of  Rio  de  Janeiro  is  known — 
as  an  exclamation  point  to  direct  special  attention  to  His 
masterpiece  of  terrestrial  beauty  and  majesty.  And  today, 
when  it  heaves  in  sight,  the  voyager  knows  that  Rio  de 
Janeiro  is  near  and  that  he  will  soon  be  enjoying  the  hos- 
pitality of  the  second  largest  city  in  South  America. 

1 When  first  discovered  the  Portuguese  called  this  lofty  rock  Cara  de  Cao — 
Dog’s  Face — while  the  early  French  navigators  named  it  Put  de  Beurre — 
Butter  Pot. 


47 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Scarcely  less  striking  than  Pao  d’Assucar  are  two  other 
mountain  peaks — likewise  on  our  port  side — called  from 
their  peculiar  shapes,  Gavea — Round-top — and  Corcovado 
— Hunchback.  They  are  both  much  larger  and  higher  than 
the  Sugar  Loaf,  and  stand  a short  distance  from  the  shore. 
They  seem  like  two  colossal  guardians  of  the  fair  city  that 
lies  at  their  feet.  With  the  exception  of  their  lofty  sum- 
mits, they  are  not  so  hare  of  vegetation  as  the  Pao 
d’Assucar,  and,  for  this  reason  they  have,  even  at  a dis- 
tance, an  element  of  beauty  that  is  almost  entirely  absent 
from  the  bald  and  rocky  Sugar  Loaf. 

But  more  impressive  far  than  the  view  of  either  of  these 
granite  masses  taken  separately  is  the  weird  figure  formed 
by  the  three  of  them  when  observed  from  the  proper  angle. 
They  then  give  us  what  is  locally  known  as  0 Gigante  que 
dorme — The  Sleeping  Giant.  Gavea  forms  the  head,  Cor- 
covado the  trunk  and  legs,  and  Pao  d’Assucar  the  feet  of 
a Brobdingnagian  monster  who  lies  supine  with  his  head 
on  the  flank  of  the  mountain  range  at  the  rear  of  the  city 
and  his  feet  at  the  very  edge  of  the  azure  waters  of  the 
ocean.  The  likeness  of  the  recumbent  figure  to  the  human 
form  is  really  extraordinary,  and  it  is  in  many  respects 
more  remarkable  than  any  similar  formation  in  any  other 
part  of  the  world.  “The  Woman  in  White,”  on  the  sum- 
mit of  Ixtacciliuatl,  as  seen  across  the  valley  of  Analiuac 
from  the  eminence  above  Toluca,  is  wonderfully  lifelike  in 
her  winding-sheet  of  eternal  snow.  La  Amortaliada — The 
Enshrouded  Woman — on  the  island  of  Santa  Clara,  off 
the  southern  coast  of  Ecuador,  as  viewed  under  the  rays 
of  the  setting  sun  is  also  a marvel,  and  once  seen  can  never 
be  forgotten.1  So  also  is  the  fancied  figure  of  The  Dead 
Inca  on  a lofty  peak  adjoining  Mount  Misti,  in  Peru.  But 
strange  and  fantastic  as  are  these  three  wonderful  simili- 
tudes of  the  “human  form  divine,”  they  must  all  yield 

‘See  “Along  the  Andes  and  Down  the  Amazon,”  p.  44  et  seq.,  by  H.  J. 
Mozans,  New  York,  1911. 


48 


SOUTH  AMERICA’S  CITY  BEAUTIFUL 


in  interest  and  in  significance  to  The  Sleeping  Giant  of  Rio 
de  Janeiro.  I say  significance,  for  I could  not  help  regard- 
ing this  titanic  form  as  symbolic  of  the  great  republic  of 
Brazil  which  is  just  beginning  to  awaken  to  what  seems  a 
great  and  glorious  future.  For  Brazil  with  all  her  count- 
less potentialities  has  hitherto,  like  the  giant,  been  in  a 
dormant  state  and  it  is  only  now  that  she  is  preparing  to 
rise  from  that  lethargy  which  has  incapacitated  her  from 
taking  her  proper  place  among  the  great  nations  of  the 
world. 

It  is  only  after  we  have  passed  through  the  granite 
gateway  to  the  bay  of  Rio  de  Janeiro — a gateway  that  is 
flanked  on  both  sides  by  strong  fortifications  bristling  with 
large  and  modern  guns — that  one  begins  to  have  some  faint 
conception  of  the  vastness  and  the  magnificence  of  this 
ocean  inlet.  The  Tamoyo  Indians  called  it  Nicliteroy — Hid- 
den Water  1 — and  the  name  is  so  appropriate  that  it  is  a 
pity  that  it  has  not  been  retained.  It  is  also  called,  even  to- 
day, the  bay  or  sea  of  Guanabara,  an  Indian  name  of  dis- 
puted meaning,  but  one  which  far  more  accurately  describes 
this  extensive  body  of  water  than  does  the  usual  appellation 
of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  which  literally  means  River  of  January. 
This  name  was  given  it  by  the  Portuguese  navigator, 
Gongalo  Coelho,  because  he  discovered  it  on  the  first  of 
January,  1502,  and  because,  from  superficial  observations, 
he  imagined  it  to  be  the  estuary  of  a river,  which  it  is  not. 
It  is  a miniature  sea  eighteen  miles  long  from  north  to 
south,  and  twelve  miles  in  width  from  east  to  west  at  its 
widest  part.  Or  rather,  it  is  an  archipelago,  for  its  placid 
waters  ^re  dotted  with  no  less  than  a hundred  isles  and 
islets.  Some  of  these,  like  Paqueta  and  Gobernador,  are 
inhabited,  while  others  are  little  more  than  masses  of  rock 
bearing  in  their  seamed  surfaces  flecks  of  verdure,  or  an 
occasional  palm  or  mango  tree  with  dark-green  branches 

‘It  is  also  said  to  mean  “cold  water,’’  because  of  the  cold  ocean  currents 
which,  during  certain  months  of  the  year,  enter  the  bay. 

49 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


made  vocal  by  twittering  birds  of  sweetest  notes  and  richest 
plumage. 

It  was  early  dawn  when  we  sighted  The  Sleeping  Giant, 
and  by  the  hour  of  sunrise  we  were  well  within  the  glorious 
bay  of  Guanabara.  Thanks  to  the  courtesy  of  our  genial 
captain,  Colonel  Roosevelt  and  I were  given  a good  posi- 
tion on  the  bridge  whence  to  survey  the  scenic  marvels 
which  greeted  us  from  every  point  of  the  compass. 

We  were  in  the  midst  of  a vast  amphitheater  formed  by 
mountain  ranges  and  lofty  peaks  that  pierced  the  clouds. 
Directly  ahead  of  us,  lapped  by  the  myriad  tongues  of  the 
bay,  was  the  fair  city  of  Sao  Sebastiao  de  Rio  de  Janeiro.1 
Behind  it  rose  in  serene  majesty  the  forest-clad  mountain 
of  Tijuca,  and  still  farther  toward  the  west  was  the  cele- 
brated range  of  the  Serra  dos  Orgaos.  It  is  so  called  from 
its  fancied  resemblance  to  the  pipes  of  an  immense  organ. 
In  places  it  is  more  than  six  thousand  feet  high.  The 
sharpest  and  most  striking  pinnacle  of  the  Organ  Moun- 
tains is  called  Dedo  de  Deus — Finger  of  God. 

The  mountains  surrounding  the  city  were  enveloped 
in  clouds  when  we  first  entered  the  bay,  but  the  rising  sun 
soon  cleared  up  the  atmosphere,  and  then  every  detail  of 
mountain,  bay  and  city  came  out  in  glorious  relief.  Then, 
in  the  dreamlike  radiance  of  the  morning,  the  panorama 
before  us  revealed  itself  as  one  unbroken  line  of  perfectly 
modulated  landscape.  In  every  direction  were  the  most 
charming  vistas  of  green  and  gold.  The  bases  and  flanks 
of  Tijuca  and  the  towering  summits  of  the  Serra  dos 

1 The  original  name  given  to  the  city  of  Eio  de  Janeiro  by  its  founder, 
Mem  de  Sa,  was  Sao  Sebastiao.  It  was  so  named  in  honor  of  the  then  reigning 
king  of  Portugal,  and  also  in  honor  of  Saint  Sebastian,  whose  feast  is  cele- 
brated on  the  twentieth  of  January — the  day  on  which  Mem  de  Sa  and  his 
nephew,  Estacio  de  Sa,  won  a decisive  victory  over  the  French  and  their  Indian 
allies.  The  present  abbreviated  name  Rio — river — so  called  from  a river  that 
does  not  exist — is  the  strangest  kind  of  a misnomer  and  is  about  as  appropriate 
for  so  beautiful  a city  as  is  the  epithet  Bahia — bay — to  the  capital  of  the  state 
of  that  name.  For  many  reasons  it  seems  a pity  that  the  original  appellations 
were  not  retained. 


50 


SOUTH  AMERICA’S  CITY  BEAUTIFUL 


Orgaos  were  bathed  in  the  luminous  rays  of  the  tropical 
sun  which  suffused  everything  with  wonder  and  beauty  and 
transmuted  them  into  visions  of  ineffable  splendor.  The 
waters  of  Guanabara  seemed  to  have  all  the  reputed  tints 
of  the  dying  dolphin,  for  their  colors  changed  with  every 
movement  of  the  clouds — with  every  reflection  of  the  sun’s 
rays  from  the  rapidly  disappearing  vapors  which  had  sur- 
charged the  soft,  warm  atmosphere  of  the  morning.  Every- 
where they  quivered  with  romance  and  with  the  golden 
charm  of  fairyland. 

The  color  notes  of  mountain,  and  bay,  and  island  struck 
a pleasant  harmony  with  the  exquisitely  tinted  lines  of 
the  city  beautiful  cradled  between  the  evergreen  foothills 
of  Tijuca  and  the  resplendent  waters  of  Guanabara.  Even 
at  a distance,  Rio  de  Janeiro  seems  a city  of  gardens. 
The  prevailing  tone  of  its  embowered  villas  and  sun-stained 
palaces  and  churches  is  a pearly  white,  passing,  by  deli- 
cate gradations,  into  light  orange  and  primrose.  The  city, 
indeed,  is  as  unique  as  its  setting.  The  first  view  of  it  fully 
justifies  all  that  can  be  said  in  its  praise. 

The  harbor  of  Rio  de  Janeiro  has  frequently  been  com- 
pared with  those  of  other  world-famed  cities.  But  it  is 
so  far  beyond  all  others  in  scenic  beauty,  in  the  gorgeous 
pageant  of  mountains  and  hills  with  their  delicately  drawn 
outlines,  in  its  lovely  bays  and  its  century  of  islands  tinted 
with  the  most  exquisite  aerial  hues,  that  comparison  is  quite 
out  of  place.  Not  Naples  so  famed  in  song  and  story, 
not  Vigo  with  its  garland  of  islands  and  mountain  peaks; 
not  Palermo  with  its  Conca  d’Oro  surmounted  by  Mount 
Pellegrino;  not  Sydney  with  its  island-studded  bay;  not 
Constantinople  with  its  Golden  Horn  crowned  by  mosques 
and  minarets,  can  offer  anything  that  so  rejoices  the  eye 
and  so  satisfies  our  ideal  of  supreme  beauty  in  nature  as 
does  the  peerless  bay  of  Guanabara. 

“ 0 que  linda  situacdo  para  se  f undar  huma  villa!” — Oh, 
what  a beautiful  situation  for  founding  a town! — said 

51 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Duarte  Coellio  Pereira  when  he  first  laid  eyes  on  the  site 
of  the  present  city  of  Pernambuco.  With  how  much  more 
truth  could  not  these  words  be  applied  to  the  location  of 
the  city  of  Saint  Sebastian? 

Writing  to  Lorenzo  de ’Medici  about  the  marvels  of  the 
Land  of  the  Holy  Cross,  Amerigo  Vespucci  declares  of  it: 
“If  there  is  a terrestrial  paradise  in  the  world,  it  cannot 
be  far  from  this  region.”  Had  he  gazed  on  the  wonders 
of  Nichteroy?  He  does  not  inform  us,  but  one  loves  to 
think  that  he  did,  and  that  the  beauties  of  Eden  were  sug- 
gested by  what  here  met  his  enchanted  vision.1 

It  is  related  that,  some  decades  ago,  when  yellow  fever 
was  still  very  prevalent  in  Rio  de  Janeiro,  an  English 
nobleman  was  wont  every  year,  during  three  days  of  spring- 
tide,  to  cruise  among  the  islands  of  Guanabara  bay  without 
ever  once  leaving  his  yacht.  He  kept  always  aboard,  for 
he  knew  that  to  land  might  mean  death  from  the  plague. 
Some  regarded  his  annual  visit  to  these  waters  as  an 
eccentricity.  They  did  not  realize  how  great  for  him 
was  the  lure  of  this  matchless  harbor,  and  how  completely 
its  countless  marvels  had  enthralled  his  beauty-loving  soul. 
There  are,  I fancy,  few  lovers  of  Nature,  with  means  and 
leisure,  who,  after  being  once  under  the  magic  spell  of  this 
enchanting  bay,  would  not  be  disposed  to  follow  the  Eng- 
lishman’s example. 

So  deeply,  at  first,  was  I fascinated  by  the  contemplation 
of  the  beauties  and  wonders  of  land  and  sea  that  the  crea- 
tions of  man  almost  passed  unobserved.  But  I soon  had 
ocular  evidence  that  I was  in  one  of  the  world’s  great 
centers  of  commerce.  For  on  all  sides  were  steamers  and 
sailing  craft  of  all  kinds  and  sizes,  and  from  all  parts  of 
the  earth.  Some  were  quietly  riding  at  anchor,  while  others 
were  preparing  to  discharge  their  cargoes  at  the  magnifi- 
cent new  docks  recently  completed,  and  still  others  were 

1 According  to  the  Brazilian  historian,  Dom  Candido  Mendes,  Amerigo 
Vespucci  visited  the  bay  of  Guanabara  with  Dom  Nuno  Manoel  in  1502. 

52 


SOUTH  AMERICA’S  CITY  BEAUTIFUL 


under  way  to  distant  ports  beyond  the  ocean.  And  here, 
too,  were  those  terrible  engines  of  war — the  latest  and 
largest  types  of  dreadnoughts.  It  seemed  almost  like  a 
desecration  to  have  these  terrific  instrumentalities  of  death 
in  this  placid  bay  which  Nature  had  so  manifestly  intended 
as  a haven  of  peace  and  happiness. 

Presently,  our  attention  was  attracted  by  the  sound  of 
distant  music  and  by  the  appearance  of  a small  fleet  of 
gayly  decked  craft  flying  the  Brazilian  flag  and  the  Stars 
and  Stripes.  They  were  filled  with  officials  of  the  govern- 
ment and  private  citizens  who  were  coming  to  bid  us  wel- 
come to  Brazil  and  to  offer  us  the  freedom  of  its  capital 
city.  There  were  the  same  demonstrations  of  pleasure  and 
delight  as  we  had  witnessed  in  Bahia,  but  on  a far  grander 
scale.  The  multitude  at  the  landing-stage  was  legion ; those 
who  crowded  the  adjacent  streets  numbered  myriads. 
Bands  played,  drums  thumped,  regalia  flashed,  crowds 
acclaimed,  banners  waved  in  all  the  wild  enthusiasm  of  a 
national  holiday. 

From  the  Pra^a  15  Novembre,  where  we  landed,  we  were 
escorted  to  the  superb  palace  of  Guanabara.  This  was 
formerly  the  home  of  Princess  Isabel,  the  distinguished 
daughter  of  the  Emperor  Dom  Pedro  II.  She  it  was  who, 
while  regent  during  her  father’s  absence  abroad,  set  free 
all  of  the  slaves  of  Brazil  by  a single  stroke  of  her  pen, 
and  that,  too,  without  causing  war  or  bloodshed.  The  pal- 
ace is  now  the  official  residence  of  the  President  of  the 
Brazilian  republic  and  is  one  of  the  noblest  and  most  im- 
posing structures  in  the  Southern  Continent.  Here  we  were 
installed  as  the  guests  of  the  nation,  and  were  made  to 
feel,  in  the  kindliest  and  most  courteous  manner,  that  while 
within  its  hospitable  walls  we  were  really  at  home  and 
among  friends. 

The  sun  was  still  young  when,  the  day  after  our  arrival, 
we  started  out  to  take  our  first  survey  of  Brazil’s  capital. 
The  serene  purity  of  the  sky  was  almost  dazzling  in  its 

53 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


luster.  The  vast  amphitheater  which  incloses  the  city  in 
its  delicate  embrace  was  a maze  of  shadows  diapered  with 
green  and  gold.  The  rocks  in  the  foreground  were  seamed 
with  countless  shades  of  color,  while  the  feathery,  tufted 
foliage  of  the  palm-trees  swayed  in  the  wind  to  the  sweet- 
toned  symphonies  of  the  joyous  birds  that  caroled  their 
lays  of  love. 

Our  intention  was  to  get  a general  impression  of  the 
metropolis  before  examining  it  in  detail.  Under  the  guid- 
ance of  a young  native  of  Rio — who  proved  to  be  not  only 
an  intelligent  cicerone,  hut  also  a most  charming  compan- 
ion— and  in  a sumptuous  automobile  which  had  been  put  at 
our  disposition  during  our  sojourn  in  the  city,  we  visited 
the  principal  points  of  interest  in  the  business  part  of  the 
city.  Chief  among  these  was  the  Avenida  Central — now 
called  Avenida  Rio  Branco — and  the  famous  old  Rua  do 
Ouvidor. 

Avenida  Rio  Branco,  named  in  memory  of  the  late  min- 
ister of  foreign  affairs,  who  enjoyed  an  international  repu- 
tation as  a statesman,  is  a splendid  thoroughfare  that  came 
into  existence  twenty  years  ago  through  the  same  methods 
which  Baron  Haussmann  so  successfully  employed  in  beau- 
tifying Paris.  Following  the  example  of  the  French  gov- 
ernment in  the  construction  of  the  splendid  Avenue  de 
1 ’Opera,  the  government  of  Brazil  exercised  its  right  of 
eminent  domain  and  appropriated  sufficient  property  to 
secure  the  building  lots  on  each  side  of  the  new  highway. 
An  immense  passageway,  six  hundred  and  fifty  feet  wide 
and  a mile  and  a quarter  long,  was  cut  directly  through 
the  business  heart  of  the  city.  Not  a single  building  in 
this  vast  area  was  left  standing.  And  when  the  work  of 
reconstruction  was  begun,  all  plans  for  new  buildings  had  to 
be  submitted  to  a special  commission  which  insisted  on  a 
certain  harmony  of  design  in  all  the  structures  erected. 
In  this  way  were  secured  the  best  architectural  and  per- 
spective effects.  In  less  than  two  years  the  street,  with 

54 


SOUTH  AMERICA’S  CITY  BEAUTIFUL 


all  its  palatial  structures,  public  and  private,  was  com- 
pleted, and  the  people  of  Rio  de  Janeiro  could  point  to  an 
avenue  that  ranks  with  the  most  beautiful  in  the  world. 

It  is  along  this  avenue  that  one  will  find  the  largest 
and  most  imposing  structures  of  modern  Rio.  Conspicu- 
ous among  them  are  the  National  Library,  the  Academy 
of  Fine  Arts,  the  Monroe  Palace,  and  the  Municipal  The- 
ater. The  last-named  building,  modeled  after  the  opera- 
house  of  Paris,  cost  no  less  than  ten  million  dollars.  It 
is  probably  the  most  elaborate  theater  in  the  Western 
Hemisphere,  and  has  been,  since  its  erection,  a Mecca  for 
the  greatest  operatic  stars  of  Europe. 

Rua  do  Ouvidor — Auditor  Street — so  named  because 
the  royal  Portuguese  auditor — Dr.  Francisco  Berquo  de 
Silveira — had  his  official  residence  here,  is  quite  unlike 
Avenida  Rio  Branco,  except  that  both  of  them  are  centers 
of  activity  and  fashion.  It  is  short  and  narrow — so  nar- 
row indeed  that  vehicle  traffic  in  it  is  forbidden.  The  mid- 
dle of  the  street,  as  well  as  the  sidewalks,  is  always 
thronged,  especially  during  the  latter  part  of  the  after- 
noon. For  it  has  been  from  time  immemorial  the  favorite 
rendezvous  of  business  men  and  politicians  who  foregather 
here  in  the  cafes  and  restaurants  and  bookstores  to  dis- 
cuss the  news  of  the  day  and  get  a copy  of  the  latest  French 
novel.  All  educated  Brazilians  speak  French  and  make 
such  demand  for  the  lighter  kinds  of  French  literature  that 
whole  editions  of  certain  favorite  authors  are  sent  to  Rio 
as  soon  as  they  come  from  the  Paris  press. 

But  Rua  do  Ouvidor  is  more  interesting  as  headquarters 
for  the  finest  jewelry  and  for  the  latest  creations  of  Pari- 
sian modistes.  In  the  shop  windows,  on  each  side  of  the 
street,  one  will  see  gorgeous  displays  of  Brazil  diamonds 
and  tourmalines,  Brussels  and  Venetian  laces,  and  the  rich- 
est silk  and  satin  fabrics  from  French  and  Italian  looms. 
Here  dames  of  rank  and  fashion  most  do  congregate,  and 
the  richly  gowned  women  exhibit  all  the  delicacy  of  taste 

55 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


shown  by  their  sisters  of  Fifth  Avenue,  or  the  Rue  de  la 
Paix. 

It  was,  however,  the  romance  of  Rua  do  Ouvidor  that 
particularly  appealed  to  me.  If  this  street  had  a voice 
it  could  tell  more  of  the  history  of  the  city  since  its  foun- 
dation in  1567  by  Mem  de  Sa  on  Monte  Sao  Januario — 
now  Monte  do  Castello — than  could  any  other  thoroughfare 
in  the  capital.  It  could  tell  strange  stories  of  love  and 
crime,  of  war  and  intrigue,  and  of  its  gradual  evolution 
from  a few  wattled  huts  among  the  Tamovo  Indians  to  one 
of  the  world’s  great  centers  of  trade  and  culture. 

The  city  fathers  of  Rio,  like  municipal  officials  in  other 
Latin- American  cities,  devote  their  leisure  time  to  chang- 
ing the  names  of  streets  to  the  great  annoyance  of  his- 
torians, and  often,  also,  to  the  disgust  of  its  citizens.  To 
show  that  they  are  not  idle,  they  have  recently  given  the 
name  of  an  obscure  colonel — Moreira  Cesar — to  the  ven- 
erable Rua  do  Ouvidor.  But  the  people  of  Rio  have  ignored 
the  change  of  name,  and,  although  the  official  designation 
is  given  in  large  letters  on  the  street  corners,  every  true 
Carioca1  still  calls  the  cherished  old  landmark,  so  rich  in 
historical  associations,  and  so  redolent  of  romance,  by  the 
name  he  has  called  it  since  infancy— Rua  do  Ouvidor.2 

Another  thoroughfare  that  particularly  interested  me 
was  the  Mangue  Canal — used  for  draining  the  lowlands  of 
the  city.  It  is  flanked  on  each  side  by  a street  and  a double 
row  of  stately  palms  which  make  it  one  of  the  most 
attractive  features  of  the  capital.  The  section  of  the  city 

1 The  name  given  the  people  of  Eio  de  Janeiro,  from  the  fountain  of 
Carioca,  in  the  center  of  the  city,  whose  waters  were  originally  supplied  by  the 
Carioca  aqueduct,  from  the  Carioca  river  whose  source  is  in  the  heights  of 
Tijuca. 

Another  name  used  by  the  Brazilians  to  designate  the  denizens  of  Rio  de 
Janeiro  is  Fluminenses — river-folk.  To  the  foreigner  it  seems  absurd  for  people 
to  persist  in  being  named  after  a river — flumcn — which  has  no  existence. 

2 The  reader  who  is  interested  in  the  early  history  of  Rio  de  Janeiro  and 
in  the  romantic  past  of  Rua  do  Ouvidor,  will  find  the  story  delightfully  told 
in  Joaquin  Manoel  de  Macedo ’s  charming  “Memorias  da  Rua  do  Ouvidor.” 

56 


SOUTH  AMERICA’S  CITY  BEAUTIFUL 


drained  by  this  canal  is  tenanted  chiefly  by  the  poorer 
classes,  or  by  people  of  moderate  means.  But  even  among 
the  poorest  of  the  poor  I observed  no  evidence  of  the 
squalor  and  suffering  found  in  so  many  of  the  large  cities 
of  the  United  States  and  Europe.  There  are  no  slums  in 
Rio  and  there  is,  consequently,  a marked  absence  of  those 
low,  debauched  criminal  classes  that  thrive  in  such  quar- 
ters. Here  the  houses  are  small — usually  of  one  story. 
Many  of  them  are  painted  in  the  most  garish  colors.  The 
dominating  shades  are  blue  and  dark  red.  Frequently  one 
will  see  the  fagade  painted  a bright  blue,  while  the  win- 
dows and  shutters  are  green,  and  the  sides  of  the  house 
are  a pronounced  yellow  or  brown.  But  when  all  these 
things  are  seen  in  their  peculiar  setting  of  brick-red  earth, 
an  inflamed  sky,  and  a luxuriant  tropical  flora,  their  ap- 
parently violent  tonality  disappears  and  the  result  is  a 
sumptuous  harmony  which  produces  on  the  eye  the  same 
effect  that  certain  phrases  of  a Wagnerian  symphony  pro- 
duce on  the  ear. 

The  fagades  of  some  of  the  buildings,  even  of  the  hum- 
bler classes,  are  frescoed,  and  often  reproduce  local  views, 
particularly  views  of  the  bay.  In  this  respect  they  are  not 
unlike  certain  houses  in  Italy  which  are  adorned  with 
paintings  representing  choice  bits  of  scenery  around  the 
bay  of  Naples,  or  along  the  picturesque  flanks  of  the  Alps 
or  Apennines.  The  greater  number  of  them  are  occupied 
by  Negroes  or  half-breeds,  but  every  house  has  its  door- 
yard  and,  not  infrequently,  a garden  in  the  rear.  For  this 
reason  the  density  of  Rio’s  population,  even  in  its  most 
congested  sections,  is  far  less  than  that  of  the  large  and 
crowded  cities  of  Europe  and  even  of  the  United  States. 
Taken  as  a whole,  it  has  been  estimated  that  the  density  of 
population  in  Rio  is  six  times  less  than  that  of  New  York, 
twenty  times  less  than  that  of  London,  and  fifty  times  less 
than  that  of  Paris.  There  is  everywhere  an  abundance  of 
light  and  air,  and  all,  even  the  poorest,  seem  to  be  cheerful 

57 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


and  contented.  Everywhere  the  yards  and  streets  were 
filled  with  coveys  of  large-eyed,  laughing  pickaninnies  who 
were  making  merry  in  the  flood  of  tropical  sunshine.  Their 
multi-colored  garments  were  short  and  scant — usually  a 
simple  slip  of  the  cheapest  fabric.  The  expense  of  cloth- 
ing them  was  nominal,  as  was  also  the  cost  of  fuel — items 
which  in  our  northern  zones  are,  for  the  poor,  a matter 
of  serious  import.  And  where  bananas,  maize,  and  man- 
dioca  are  so  abundant,  as  in  Brazil,  there  is  no  reason  why 
colored  children  of  every  shade  should  not,  like  their  par- 
ents before  them,  wax  strong  and  grow  fat. 

When  I saw  the  teeming  crowds  of  colored  children 
that  were  everywhere  romping  and  laughing,  I recalled 
the  saying  of  the  old  Aristotelian  school  which  declares 
Homo  generat  hominem  et  sol.  This  statement  which 
attributes  the  generation  of  man  to  the  joint  action  of 
man  and  the  sun,  seemed  to  find  justification  here,  if  in 
any  part  of  the  world.  Here,  indeed,  where  the  earth  is 
ever  bathed  in  sunshine,  the  little  Negroes  and  half-breeds 
were  so  numerous  that  one  could  almost  fancy  them  spring- 
ing up  like  the  Athenians,  or  originating,  according  to  the 
legend  of  Deucalion,  from  the  stones  of  the  earth. 

But  the  great  attraction  of  Bio  de  Janeiro,  particularly 
for  one  who  visits  it  for  the  first  time,  is  the  superb,  the 
unique  Avenida  Beira  Mar.  Beginning  at  the  southern 
end  of  the  Avenida  Rio  Branco,  it  skirts  along  the  beauti- 
ful bay  of  Guanabara  for  nearly  four  miles.  On  the  side 
facing  the  bay  is  a massive  sea  wall  with  a graceful 
parapet,  erected  at  the  cost  of  millions  of  dollars,  while 
on  the  opposite  side  are  magnificent  gardens,  drives,  prom- 
enades and  villas.  Besides  a tramway,  this  broad  avenue 
has  two  well-kept  asphalt  drives  for  carriages  and  auto- 
mobiles, and,  in  a city  where  there  are  so  many  high-classed 
vehicles  as  in  Rio  de  Janeiro,  one  can  be  sure  that  the 
Avenida  Beira  Mar  is  always  a popular  speedway. 

I have  said  that  this  bayside  drive  is  unique.  But  it 

58 


Guanabara  Palace.  Our  Home  While  in  Rio  de  Janeiro. 


Avenida  Beira  Mar.  Rio  de  Janeiro. 


SOUTH  AMERICA’S  CITY  BEAUTIFUL 


is  more  than  that.  It  is,  without  doubt,  the  most  beauti- 
ful thoroughfare  in  the  world.  We  have  nothing  in  the 
United  States  that  can  at  all  approach  it.  Even  the  most 
celebrated  avenues  and  boulevards  of  the  great  European 
capitals  are  completely  eclipsed  by  it.  The  Champs 
Elysees,  the  Avenue  du  Bois  de  Boulogne,  the  Ringstrasse 
and  Unter  den  Linden,  all  have  their  attractions  and  de- 
serve all  the  praise  enthusiastic  travelers  have  bestowed 
upon  them,  but  they  must,  one  and  all,  yield  the  palm  to  this 
wonderful  creation  of  Rio  de  Janeiro.  The  famous  drive 
from  Sorrento  to  Amalfi  is  justly  celebrated  for  its  gor- 
geous views  of  mountain  and  sea.  But  even  this  falls 
below  the  magnificent  panoramas  that  are  spread  out  on 
both  sides  of  Beira  Mar.  For  this  wondrous  avenue  not 
only  delights  the  eye  of  the  beholder  with  the  beautiful 
gardens  and  luxurious  homes  that  are  such  distinguishing 
features  of  the  favorite  drives  of  Paris,  Vienna  and  Berlin, 
not  only  does  it  exhibit  the  gorgeous  marine  views  of 
Italy’s  roadway,  but  it  exhibits,  in  all  its  glory,  what 
Europe  has  not,  cannot  have.  It  displays,  on  every  side, 
an  exuberance  of  tropical  vegetation  that  cannot  be  sur- 
passed in  any  part  of  the  globe.  Every  house  is  sur- 
rounded by  plants  and  trees  of  exquisite  form  and  delicate 
foliage  and  by  flowers  of  every  hue  and  fragrance.  Every 
nook  and  corner  is  rich  in  blooms  both  wild  and  domestic. 
And  everywhere  there  is  a veritable  riot  of  dahlias,  jas- 
mines, begonias,  pinks,  azaleas,  gloxinias,  of  camelias  of 
every  tint  and  form,  and  of  chrysanthemums  that  would  ex- 
cite the  jealousy  even  of  Japan.  The  flaming  hibiscus,  the 
resplendent  Bougainvillea,  the  beautiful  ovtis  trees,  the 
royal  oreodoxa  here  alternate  with  cataracts  of  roses  that 
everywhere  fall  from  walls  and  trellises;  with  vines  and 
creepers  of  rarest  luxuriance  covering  house  and  tree ; with 
delicate  velvety  orchids  which  our  northern  belles  would 
prize  more  than  gold  or  jewels. 

But  more  beautiful  still  are  the  bevies  of  human  flowers 

59 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


at  the  windows  of  the  charming  villas  along  this  marvelous 
drive.  Everywhere  in  Latin- American  cities  it  is  the  cus- 
tom of  gayly  dressed  girls  and  young  ladies  to  spend  several 
hours  of  the  day  gazing  from  windows  and  balconies  on 
the  outside  world,  but  in  no  part  of  South  or  Central  Amer- 
ica do  they  so  beautifully  fill  out  the  kaleidoscopic  pictures 
formed  by  garden,  villa,  and  palacete  as  they  do  in  Rio  de 
Janeiro. 

Here  the  great  sea  wall  is  washed  by  foam-flecked  break- 
ers and  the  long  waves  of  Guanabara’s  bay  quiver  in  the 
untempered  sunshine.  There,  in  a sheltered  inlet,  the  un- 
ruffled waters  are  shot  with  all  the  myriad  colors  of  the 
rainbow — pale  and  delicate  greens,  and  pinks  and  mother- 
of-pearl.  These,  combined  with  the  opaline  transparencies 
of  air  and  water,  the  emerald  mountains  that  encircle  the 
bay  and  the  distant  sky  lines  tinged  with  blue  and  ame- 
thyst, evoke  an  oriental  vision,  and  make  every  villa  along 
Beira  Mar  like  an  enchanted  palace. 

The  Avenida  Beira  Mar,  the  Mangue  Canal  and  the 
Avenida  Rio  Branco — all  of  which  have  contributed  so 
much  to  the  embellishment  of  the  city — are  quite  recent 
improvements.  They  were  begun  only  a decade  ago  and 
were  completed  in  a few  years.  It  is  doubtful  whether  an 
undertaking  of  similar  magnitude  and  importance  has 
ever,  in  any  other  part  of  the  world,  been  carried  on  with 
greater  energy  and  intelligence  and  rushed  to  completion 
in  a shorter  period  of  time. 

One  of  the  most  notable  of  Rio  de  Janeiro’s  recent 
achievements  was  the  construction  of  the  docks  which  per- 
mit vessels  of  the  greatest  draft  to  deliver  their  cargoes 
directly  into  the  immense  warehouses  that  are  built  along 
the  wharves.  These,  like  the  celebrated  docks  of  Santos, 
are  works  in  which  all  Brazilians  take  great  pride.  Modeled 
after  the  great  docks  of  Antwerp,  they  embody  the  latest 
ideas  of  engineering  science  and  are  not  surpassed  by  sim- 
ilar works  either  in  the  New  or  in  the  Old  World.  And  the 

60 


SOUTH  AMERICA’S  CITY  BEAUTIFUL 


giant  enterprise  was  so  planned  that  the  prospective  value 
of  the  land  reclaimed  from  the  bay  was  more  than  sufficient 
to  cover  all  the  expenses  incident  to  the  construction  of 
these  extensive  docks  and  warehouses. 

But  the  avenues  and  docks  just  referred  to  embrace  only 
a part  of  the  improvements,  undertaken  or  contemplated, 
for  the  embellishment  of  the  city  and  for  providing  it  with 
all  the  essentials  of  a great  center  of  commerce  and  in- 
dustry. 

For,  more  important  far  than  the  embellishment  of  Rio 
de  Janeiro,  more  important  than  magnificent  buildings, 
public  and  private,  more  important  than  matchless  parks 
and  avenues,  more  important  than  the  vast  extent  and  per- 
fect equipment  of  dockage,  was  the  huge  undertaking  which 
had  for  its  object  the  sanitation  of  the  nation’s  capital. 

Since  its  foundation  the  city  of  St.  Sebastian  had  been 
a hot-bed  of  epidemic  and  endemic  diseases  of  all  kinds. 
Its  dark,  narrow,  tortuous,  noisome  streets,  the  accumulated 
filth  of  generations  in  the  bay  and  in  the  adjacent  low- 
lands, the  lack  of  the  most  necessary  sanitary  appliances 
and  the  complete  ignoring  of  the  fundamental  principles  of 
hygiene  had  bred  smallpox,  typhus  and  typhoid  fevers,  and 
numerous  tropical  diseases  no  less  deadly.  For  nearly 
three  centuries  the  hygienic  condition  of  the  city  was  little 
better  than  that  of  certain  cities  of  India  and  China  which 
have  been  plague  centers  from  time  immemorial. 

But  it  was  especially  in  1849  that  Rio  de  Janeiro  became 
a recognized  pesthole— a great  charnel  house  for  foreigners 
and  natives  as  well.  During  this  year  yellow  fever — said 
to  have  been  introduced  from  Central  America — made  its 
dread  appearance.  From  that  time,  it  was  continuously 
endemic  for  more  than  fifty  years.  Its  ravages  were  ap- 
palling ; the  total  number  of  its  victims  in  Rio  alone  aggre- 
gated not  less  than  sixty  thousand.  The  population  of  the 
city  was  decimated  at  times;  the  dread  destroyer  carried 
away  thousands  in  a few  months.  Like  Santos,  Rio  became 

61 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


known  abroad  as  “the  cemetery  of  the  foreigner.”  During 
the  sixties  there  were  periods  when  there  were  hundreds  of 
ships  of  all  nations  in  the  harbor  with  no  one  to  look  after 
them  but  a few  panic-stricken  watchmen.  Officers  and 
men  had  been  mowed  down  by  the  death-dealing  destroyer. 
And  so  frequently  were  the  cables  required  to  transmit 
sinister  messages  regarding  the  disastrous  results  occa- 
sioned by  yellow  fever  that  the  telegraphic  code  contained 
no  less  than  three  pages  of  formulae  relating  to  the  per- 
nicious endemic.  “Crew  decimated  by  fever,”  “Freight 
rates  augmented  by  fever,”  “Captain  died  of  fever” — such 
were  the  messages  constantly  flashed  from  Eio  and  other 
Brazilian  ports  to  shippers  and  shipmasters  of  Europe  and 
the  United  States. 

Commerce  was  paralyzed,  business  was  almost  at  a 
standstill.  Rio,  like  Havana,  Panama  and  Guayaquil,  be- 
came a synonym  for  pestilence  and  death.  Travelers 
avoided  it,  and  seafaring  men  knew  they  were  taking  their 
lives  in  their  hands  when  they  entered  the  portals  of  the 
disease-infected  metropolis.  So  great  was  the  consterna- 
tion of  the  people,  so  impossible  was  it  to  control  the 
frightful  mortality  of  the  city,  so  hopeless  was  the  outlook 
for  the  future,  that  the  government,  as  late  as  1889,  seri- 
ously contemplated  the  transfer  of  the  capital  to  some  ele- 
vated point  in  the  interior  of  the  country  where  the  climate 
was  more  salubrious  and  where  the  plague  might  not  find  a 
foothold. 

It  was  not  until  1906  that  the  government  actually  un- 
dertook the  colossal  task  of  the  city’s  sanitation.  It  was 
confided  to  Dr.  Lauro  Muller  who  was  then  minister  of 
public  works,  the  noted  engineer  Paulo  Frontin,  Dr.  Pa- 
reira  Passos,  prefect  of  Rio,  who  has  been  surnamed  the 
Brazilian  Haussmann,  and  Dr.  Oswaklo  Cruz,  a former 
pupil  of  Pasteur.  No  four  better  men  could  have  been 
cbosen  for  the  stupendous  work.  They  were  all  men  of 
tireless  energy  and,  in  their  several  departments,  repre- 

62 


SOUTH  AMERICA’S  CITY  BEAUTIFUL 


sented  the  best  talent  of  the  nation.  They  realized  that 
the  fate  of  the  capital  was  in  their  hands,  and  they  were 
determined  that  its  future  should  be  as  glorious  as  its 
past  had  been  disastrous.  Those  who  were  familiar  with 
the  difficulties  which  confronted  these  men  felt  that  they 
were  about  to  essay  the  impossible,  but  this  only  proved 
that  they  did  not  know  the  character  and  competence  of 
those  who  had  the  work  in  charge. 

The  problems  that  confronted  the  engineers  and  men  of 
science  in  Rio  de  Janeiro  were  identical  with  those  which 
had  been  so  successfully  solved  by  Colonel  Gorgas  and  his 
gallant  co-workers  in  Havana  and  Panama.  Their  solution 
depended  almost  wholly  on  the  extermination  of  the  Ano- 
pheles and  the  Stegomyia  mosquitoes  that  are  the  prime 
cause  of  malarial  and  yellow  fevers.  This  meant  the  de- 
struction of  the  breeding-places  of  these  pestiferous  insects. 
It  meant  the  widening  of  many  dark  and  malodorous  streets, 
and  the  complete  elimination  of  scores  of  others.  It  meant 
the  demolition  of  more  than  two  thousand  buildings,  and 
the  renewal  of  entire  sections  of  the  city.  It  meant  the 
removal  of  thousands  of  tons  of  garbage  that  had  been 
scattered  along  the  shore  of  the  hay,  and  the  disinfection 
and  dumping  into  the  depths  of  the  Atlantic  of  tens  of 
thousands  of  tons  of  filth  that  had  for  generations  been 
accumulating  in  the  shallow  waters  of  the  harbor.  It 
meant  the  filling  up  of  marshes  and  swamps,  and  exposed 
cloaca,  and  the  constructing  of  up-to-date  drains  and  sew- 
ers and  aqueducts.  It  meant  the  enforcement  of  hygienic 
rules  in  every  house  and  garden  and  the  establishment  of  a 
trained  corps  of  experts  to  wage  incessant  war  on  the  dis- 
ease-propagating mosquitoes  in  all  parts  of  the  city  and 
in  every  building,  whether  public  or  private.  So  assiduous 
was  Dr.  Cruz  in  his  campaign  against  the  Anopheles  and 
Stegomyia  that  he  earned  the  sobriquet  of  nata-mosquitos 
— mosquito-killer. 

When  the  work  of  beautifying  and  sanitating  Rio  de 

63 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Janeiro  was  begun,  the  old  colonial  quarter  of  the  city 
was  described  as  “a  rare  specimen  of  ugliness  set  by  the 
hand  of  man  in  the  midst  of  the  most  beautiful  panorama 
of  the  world.”  This,  together  with  what  has  been  stated 
in  the  preceding  paragraph,  gives  one  some  idea  of  the 
Herculean  work  which  was  involved  in  making  Rio  worthy 
of  its  noble  setting.  But,  nothing  daunted,  the  men  charged 
with  the  renovation  of  the  city  entered  upon  their  task  with 
a determination  that  augured  success,  and,  in  spite  of  criti- 
cisms and  predictions  of  failure,  were  soon  able  to  justify 
the  confidence  that  had  been  reposed  in  them. 

But  a few  years  sufficed  to  show  how  intelligently  their 
efforts  had  been  directed.  What,  in  spite  of  its  magnificent 
surroundings,  had  long  been  one  of  the  most  unsightly  of 
capitals,  was  suddenly  transformed  into  one  of  the  most 
beautiful — everywhere  adorned  with  noble  buildings, 
matchless  avenues,  superb  parks,  squares  and  gardens. 
Where  pestilence  had  long  stalked  unopposed  through  the 
city  and  where  its  “doomed  inhabitants  fell  like  grass  be- 
fore the  scythe,”  there  now  was  found  health  and  immunity 
from  the  plague  which  had  reigned  so  ruthlessly  for  more 
than  half  a century.  And  from  being  one  of  the  most  un- 
healthful spots  in  the  world  it  has  been  converted  into  one 
of  the  most  salubrious.  For  the  death-rate  of  Rio,  like 
that  of  Panama,  has  been  so  reduced  that  it  is  below  that  of 
many  large  cities  in  the  United  States  and  in  Europe.  Yel- 
low fever  has  been  effectually  banished  from  what  was  one 
of  its  great  strongholds  and  it  is  now  no  more  of  a menace 
in  Rio  than  it  is  in  Galveston  or  New  Orleans.  It  has  also 
been  banished  from  the  other  great  ports  of  Brazil  from 
Santos  to  Manaos,  and  the  precautions  against  a fresh  out- 
break of  the  disease  are  now  so  complete  that  there  is  no 
longer  any  reason  to  apprehend  its  recurrence.  Anyone 
who  has  visited  the  splendid  Instituto  Oswaldo  Cruz,  near 
Rio  de  Janeiro,  with  its  perfectly  equipped  laboratories  and 
its  enthusiastic  staff  of  investigators,  will  realize  how  de- 

64 


SOUTH  AMERICA’S  CITY  BEAUTIFUL 


termined  is  the  Brazilian  government  to  guarantee  its  peo- 
ple not  only  from  the  ravages  but  even  from  the  menace  of 
the  plague. 

Loans  aggregating  $60,000,000  were  floated  by  the  gov- 
ernment for  financing  the  various  improvements  just  de- 
scribed. But  this  sum,  large  as  it  is,  represents  only  a part 
of  the  money  actually  expended  for  the  city’s  betterment, 
for  private  companies  and  individuals  likewise  contributed 
immense  sums  towards  the  marvelous  transformation  which 
so  distinguishes  the  new  Rio  from  the  old.  But  it  was 
money  well  spent,  for  the  results  achieved  by  its  judicious 
expenditure  gave  a new  impetus  to  Brazilian  commerce  and 
put  Brazil  herself  in  a position  to  work  out  her  manifest 
destiny  as  one  of  the  great  nations  of  the  world. 

Among  the  men  whose  foresight  and  enterprise  have 
contributed  most  to  this  marvelous  transformation  of  Rio 
de  Janeiro  is  Dr.  Lauro  Muller,  whose  recent  visit  to  our 
country  did  so  much  to  cement  the  previously  existing 
friendship  between  Brazil  and  the  United  States  of  the 
North.  As  Minister  of  Public  Works,  he  was  for  years  the 
guiding  spirit  of  all  the  great  improvements  made  not  only 
in  Rio  but  also  in  Santos,  Para  and  other  parts  of  the  re- 
public. His  grandfather  was  a German  immigrant  and  he 
certainly  transmitted  to  the  present  minister  of  foreign  af- 
fairs all  the  energy  and  strength  of  character  that  distin- 
guishes the  best  type  of  Teuton — qualities  that  have  won 
for  him  not  only  the  love  and  confidence  of  his  countrymen 
but  also  the  respect  and  admiration  of  foreigners  as  well. 

It  is  beside  my  purpose  to  speak  of  the  commercial  and 
industrial  development  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  but  reference 
must  be  made  to  two  foreign  companies  which  occupy  a 
prominent  position  in  the  business  world.  One  is  locally 
known  as  A Luz — Light.  This  is  the  name  given  to  the 
great  syndicate  which  owns  and  controls  the  light,  power, 
tramway  and  telephone  systems  of  the  city.  Sir  William 
Mackenzie,  of  Toronto,  Canada,  is  chairman  of  the  com- 

65 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


pany,  while  the  distinguished  engineer,  Mr.  F.  S.  Pearson 
of  New  York,  is  its  president.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  the 
capital  of  the  company  aggregates  nearly  $100,000,000,  that 
it  counts  nearly  ten  thousand  employees,  and  that  its  gross 
annual  revenue  totals  more  than  $15,000,000. 

A still  larger  company  is  that  known  as  the  Brazil  Rail- 
way Company.  It  is  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the 
State  of  Maine  and  has  a capital  of  $250,000,000.  It  not 
only  owns  and  operates  thousands  of  miles  of  railroads  in 
Brazil,  hut  it  also  owns  and  controls  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  head  of  cattle,  millions  of  acres  of  grazing  and  timber 
lands,  besides  a dominant  interest  in  other  vast  enterprises 
in  all  parts  of  the  republic.  The  president  of  the  company 
is  Mr.  Percival  Farquhar  of  New  York.  I frequently  heard 
him  referred  to  by  his  admirers  as  “the  man  who  owns 
everything  in  Brazil  worth  having.”  In  Brazil  the  immense 
company,  with  all  of  its  divers  ramifications,  of  which  he  is 
the  chief  representative,  is  known  simply  as  “Farquhar.” 
So  colossal  and  far-reaching,  indeed,  is  the  Farquhar  syn- 
dicate that,  only  a short  time  before  our  arrival,  a kind  of 
a campaign  was  actually  launched  by  certain  members  of 
the  Brazilian  Congress  and  by  a part  of  the  press  of  Rio 
de  Janeiro  against  what  was  characterized  as  “the  Farqu- 
harizing  of  Brazil.”  Editors  and  legislators,  who  had  so 
long  been  straining  every  nerve  to  induce  foreigners  to  in- 
vest in  Brazil,  professed  now  to  fear  that  the  influx  of  for- 
eign capital  was  on  the  point  of  threatening  the  independent 
sovereignty  of  their  country.  When  one  considers  the  vast 
extent  of  Brazil  and  its  boundless  resources,  one  cannot  but 
smile  that  anyone  should  have  serious  ground  for  appre- 
hension regarding  the  sovereignty  of  the  nation,  because 
of  the  enterprise  and  activities  of  any  one  company,  how- 
ever rich  or  powerful. 

The  churches  in  Rio  de  Janeiro  are  more  than  fifty  in 
number  and,  as  in  all  Latin-American  cities,  are  conspicu- 
ous features,  and  are  always  sure  to  arrest  the  visitor’s 

66 


SOUTH  AMERICA’S  CITY  BEAUTIFUL 


attention.  Among  the  largest  and  most  attractive  of  them 
are  the  cathedral  and  the  Igreja  de  Nossa  Senhora  de  Can- 
delaria. But  in  beauty  of  design  and  in  majesty  of  con- 
ception none  of  these  can  compare  with  such  noble  and 
imposing  structures  as  the  cathedrals  of  Lima  or  Mexico, 
or  even  with  the  wonderful,  but  little  known,  cathedral  of 
Cuzco. 

The  picturesque  little  chapel  of  Nossa  Senhora  da  Boa 
Viagem  on  an  islet  in  Guanabara  Bay  is  regarded  as  the 
special  shrine  of  the  Brazilian  sailors.  To  seafaring  men 
of  Brazil,  it  is  held  in  the  same  veneration  as  the  beautiful 
church  of  Notre  Dame  de  la  Garde  in  Marseilles.  But  to 
the  student  of  Brazilian  history,  a more  interesting  edifice 
is  the  Igreja  de  Sao  Sebastiao,  on  the  Morro  do  Castello. 
For  it  is  not  only  the  oldest  church  in  the  city — dating  back 
to  1567 — but  it  is  also  the  last  resting  place  of  Estacio  de 
Sa,  who,  aided  by  his  uncle,  Mem  de  Sa,  governor-general 
of  Brazil,  was  the  founder  of  the  city. 

Rio  de  Janeiro  is  fairly  well  provided  with  primary  and 
secondary  schools,  and  with  professional  and  technical  in- 
stitutions of  various  kinds.  But,  what  is  most  astonishing 
for  a city  as  large  and  as  wealthy  as  the  capital  of  Brazil, 
is  that  it  has  no  university.  And  more  astonishing  still 
is  the  fact  that  there  is  not,  and  never  has  been,  a single 
university  in  the  vast  republic.  In  this  respect,  Brazil  is 
far  behind  the  other  nations  of  Latin  America,  for,  with 
one  or  two  exceptions,  they  can  all  point  to  their  university, 
and  some  of  them  to  several  institutions  of  this  character. 
One  needs  instance  only  such  homes  of  learning  as  the 
University  of  Cordoba,  in  Argentina,  the  Universities  of 
Santiago,  Quito,  Bogota,  and  the  venerable  and  far-famed 
University  of  San  Marcos  in  Lima. 

The  Brazilians,  however,  realize  their  backwardness  in 
this  respect,  and  this  itself  is  a good  augury  for  the  future. 
For  years  past  many  of  the  more  intelligent  and  enterpris- 
ing representatives  of  the  country  have  been  agitating  for 

67 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


the  establishment  of  a first-class  university,  hut  so  far  they 
have  been  nothing  more  than  voices  in  the  wilderness.  All 
they  have  accomplished,  if  anything,  is  to  bring  home  to 
their  countrymen  the  absolute  necessity  of  having  an  in- 
stitution for  university  instruction,  if  they  are  to  occupy 
their  proper  place  among  civilized  nations. 

But,  notwithstanding  the  lack  of  universities  in  Brazil, 
there  is  no  lack  of  those  having  the  title  of  doctor.  They 
are  even  more  numerous  than  in  Bogota,  where  every  col- 
lege professor,  every  newspaper  editor,  and  every  politi- 
cian, if  he  has  any  standing  with  his  party,  is  dubbed  “doc- 
tor.” In  Bio  de  Janeiro,  and  elsewhere  in  the  republic, 
even  such  professional  men  as  civil  engineers  have  this 
degree,  and  always  proudly  prefix  it  before  their  name. 
It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  obtaining  of  such  degree  does 
not  entail  the  long  and  serious  course  of  study  which  a 
German  student  must  make  before  his  alma  mater  is  willing 
to  confer  on  him  the  coveted  title  of  Philo sopliice  Doc- 
tor.1 

There  are  many  Brazilians,  as  there  are  many  from 
other  parts  of  South  America,  who  have  made  their  studies 
in  the  universities  of  Europe  and  the  United  States.  And 
among  these  there  is  a goodly  number  who  have  carried 
away  the  highest  honors  of  their  class.  That  the  number 
of  Brazilian  students  in  our  institutions  of  learning  is  grad- 
ually increasing  is  a hopeful  sign  and  presages  well,  not 
only  for  the  continued  development  of  friendly  relations 
between  the  two  greatest  republics  of  the  Western  Hemi- 
sphere, but  also  for  the  establishment,  in  the  not  distant 
future,  of  universities  similar  to  our  own,  not  only  in  Bio 
de  Janeiro  but  also  in  other  important  centers  of  the  re- 
public. For,  judging  from  the  Brazilians  whom  it  was  my 
pleasure  to  meet,  who  were  graduates  from  foreign  institu- 
tions of  learning,  the  Brazilian  student  of  today  worthily 

1 A few  years  ago  Brazil  abolished  all  academic  titles  as  being  undemo- 
cratic. Certificates  are  now  given  instead  of  degrees. 

68 


SOUTH  AMERICA’S  CITY  BEAUTIFUL 


upholds  the  best  traditions  of  his  forefathers  in  the  famed 
university  of  Coimbra. 

For  an  evidence  of  their  scholarship  and  intellectual 
capacity  it  is  not  necessary  to  inquire  about  their  past 
achievements  in  literature  and  science.  It  suffices  to  glance 
through  the  pages  of  some  of  their  leading  magazines, 
several  of  which  are  beautifully  illustrated,  or  to  read  the 
masterly  articles  in  some  of  the  daily  papers  of  Rio  de 
Janeiro.  I need  instance  only  such  dailies  as  Jornal  do 
Commercio,  0 Paiz,  and  Jornal  do  Brazil.  The  first-named 
journal  was  founded  in  1827,  and  is  by  far  the  best  and  most 
important  news  organ  in  Brazil.  Not  only  that,  but  there 
are  few  newspapers  in  the  United  States  or  Europe  which 
are  better  edited,  or  more  dignified,  or  which  make  a 
greater  and  a more  successful  effort  to  supply  their  readers 
with  the  news  of  the  world.  In  it  appear  articles  from 
the  pens  of  the  greatest  literary  lights  of  Brazil — articles 
which  are  frequently  exquisite  specimens  of  Portuguese 
literature  and  conclusive  proofs  of  the  capabilities  of  ex- 
pression of  the  noble  language  of  Camoens  and  Nogueira 
Ramos. 

I have  referred,  in  passing,  to  the  rare  beauty  of  Guana- 
bara  Bay  as  seen  from  the  deck  of  a steamer,  and  have 
briefly  noted  some  of  the  more  attractive  features  of  the 
city,  as  observed  while  driving  through  its  picturesque 
streets  and  palm-lined  avenues.  I would  fain  dwell  on  the 
floral  splendor  of  its  parks,  its  flower-decked  squares  and, 
above  all,  the  Edenic  homes  which  it  was  my  privilege  to 
visit.  Among  such  homes  was  one  near  the  Beira  Mar 
Drive,  while  another  was  on  the  heights  of  Santa  Thereza 
- — the  home  of  my  good  and  faithful  guide  and  companion 
whose  unfailing  kindness  to  me  during  my  sojourn  in  the 
city  beautiful  shall  always  be  among  the  most  cherished 
recollections  of  my  journeys  in  many  lands.  I should  love 
to  tell  of  the  marvels  of  the  famous  Botanic  Garden,  with 
its  countless  species  of  plants  and  trees,  with  its  superb 

69 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


colonnade  of  Oreodoxa  oleracea  palms;  its  archways  of 
delicate  bamboo;  its  displays  of  Victoria  regia;  its  groves 
of  clove  and  cinnamon  and  nutmeg  and  other  exotic  trees, 
which  waft  their  rich  perfumes  through  the  air ; its  tangles 
of  rose  bushes;  its  graceful  fern  trees;  its  crimson  poin- 
settia ; its  glimpses  of  virgin  forest  with  garlands  of  vines 
and  festoons  of  flower-and-foliage-laden  lianas  which,  like 
gay  draperies,  hang  from  the  outstretched  branches  of  the 
rubber  tree  or  the  giant  pirijao.  With  the  exception  of  the 
botanical  garden  of  Para  there  is  probably  no  spot  in  the 
world  which  offers  a more  gorgeous  display  of  Flora’s 
wonders  or  exhibits  them  in  greater  exuberance  and  per- 
fection. 

All  these  things  are  beautiful,  it  is  true,  and  the  visitor 
to  Rio  will  wish  to  linger  long  in  silent  contemplation  of 
such  marvels  of  plant  and  tree,  foliage  and  bloom.  But 
there  are  other  and  greater  attractions — attractions  which 
give  Rio  de  Janeiro  a distinctive  cachet  and  render  it  abso- 
lutely unique  among  the  world’s  great  capitals.  I refer  to 
the  truly  magnificent  views  which  are  obtainable  from  the 
summits  of  the  Pao  d’Assucar  and  Corcovado. 

The  summit  of  Sugar  Loaf  is  now  easily  reached  by 
means  of  an  aerial  cable-car  which  was  put  in  operation  in 
1912.  Before  this  time  the  ascent  of  this  gaunt  old  sentinel 
of  Guanabara  Bay  was  considered  so  difficult  that  no  one 
thought  of  climbing  to  its  dizzy  heights.  The  story,  how- 
ever, is  told  that,  previous  to  the  construction  of  the  aerial 
cable-way,  two  persons  actually  did  succeed  in  scaling  Pao 
d’Assucar.  One  was  an  English  midshipman,  who  hoisted 
the  Union  Jack,  and  the  other  was  a patriotic  Chicago  girl, 
who  planted  the  Stars  and  Stripes  in  its  place. 

There  is  a well-kept  buffet  on  the  top  of  the  peak  and 
my  fidus  Achates,  who  seemed  to  have  no  thought  but  my 
pleasure  and  comfort,  had  planned  for  me  a most  agreeable 
surprise.  It  was  a luncheon  there  with  some  young  friends 
of  his  whom  I had  met  on  our  arrival  in  Rio,  and  whom  I 

70 


SOUTH  AMERICA’S  CITY  BEAUTIFUL 


had  learned  to  admire  and  esteem.  I knew  nothing  about 
my  friend’s  plans  until  we  stepped  out  of  the  car.  Then  I 
was  suddenly  greeted  by  a vivacious  young  carioca  who 
exclaimed:  “There  is  nothing  here  for  you.  We  have  eaten 
everything.”  She  had  scarcely  uttered  these  words,  how- 
ever, when  she  and  her  merry  companions  gathered  around 
us  and  escorted  us  to  a table  at  which  we  had  a most  de- 
lightful repast  al  fresco , with  the  most  charming  of  hosts 
and  hostesses. 

Luncheon  over,  we  were  prepared  for  the  enjoyment  of 
more  gorgeous  panoramas  than  any  we  had  previously 
gazed  on,  even  in  this  city  of  magnificent  vistas.  The  point 
where  we  stood  commanded  views  of  every  part  of  the  city 
and  bay,  of  the  surrounding  mountains,  and  of  the  broad 
expanse  of  the  azure  Atlantic.  But  what,  at  the  moment, 
impressed  me  more  even  than  the  matchless  views  which 
broke  on  our  vision  at  every  side  was  the  thought  that  we 
were  standing  on  a pinnacle  which  had  witnessed  so  many 
stirring  events  in  the  history  of  Brazil  and  had  arrested 
the  attention  of  many  men  whose  names  are  most  conspicu- 
ous in  the  annals  of  South  American  exploration  and  con- 
quest. 

It  was  at  the  foot  of  this  giant  monolith,  nearly  fourteen 
hundred  feet  high,  that  Estacio  de  Sa  landed  when  he  laid 
the  foundations  of  what  was  destined  to  become  the  capital 
of  one  of  the  world’s  greatest  republics.  It  was  on  Gover- 
nor’s Island,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  bay,  where  his  life 
was  cut  short  by  an  Indian’s  arrow.  Magellan,  during  his 
epoch-making  circumnavigation  of  the  globe,  four  centuries 
ago,  anchored  his  fleet  here  for  a fortnight.  He  then  pro- 
ceeded to  solve  “The  Mystery  of  the  Strait,”  which  had  so 
eluded  the  efforts  of  Columbus,  by  discovering  the  passage 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  that  has  since  borne  his 
name. 

In  the  southern  part  of  the  bay  is  a low,  fortified  island 
which  is  named  after  the  French  Vice-Admiral,  Chevalier 

71 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


de  Villegaignon,  wlio  built  a fort  here  which  was  to  be 
the  beginning  of  a large  Huguenot  colony  that  was  to  be 
established  on  the  mainland.  Already  the  French  fancied 
themselves  in  possession  of  the  entire  continent  to  which 
they  gave  the  name  France  Antarctique.  And  had  Estacio 
de  Sa  and  his  allies  shown  less  activity  and  resolution  “this 
country  which  now  contains  the  capital  of  Brazil  . . . 

would  have  been  at  this  day  French.”1  But,  as  in  Nou- 
velle  France  in  the  north,  their  dominion  over  the  territory 
claimed  by  them  was  of  short  duration. 

In  1808  the  royal  family  of  Portugal — driven  out  of  the 
land  of  their  birth  by  Napoleon — entered  the  Bay  of  Guana- 
bara,  and  for  thirteen  years  made  Rio  de  Janeiro  the  seat 
of  the  Portuguese  Court.  During  the  following  sixty-seven 
years  Brazil  was  an  independent  empire,  and  then,  in  1889, 
Dom  Pedro  II — a savant  and  ruler  who  commanded  the 
admiration  of  the  world — was  notified  that  he  and  the  im- 
perial family  must  leave  Brazil  within  twenty-four  hours. 
And  at  two  o’clock  in  the  morning  they  embarked  on  a 
Brazilian  warship  from  which  they  were  transferred  to  a 
steamer  that  conveyed  them  to  Lisbon.  With  a total  ab- 
sence of  demonstration,  either  friendly  or  hostile,  they 
passed  out  of  the  Bay  of  Guanabara  in  which,  eighty  years 
before,  the  emperor’s  grandfather,  Dom  Joao  VI,  had  been 
received  with  such  manifestations  of  joy  and  delight.  With- 
out war  or  bloodshed,  the  last  vestiges  of  monarchy  had 
disappeared  from  the  Western  Hemisphere  and  Brazil  had 
become  one  of  the  great  sisterhood  of  American  republics. 

Never  in  the  world’s  history  had  so  stupendous  a change 
been  effected  so  quickly  and  so  peacefully.  There  was  no 
straggle,  no  fratricidal  strife.  But  this  was  thanks  to  the 

1 Southy,  “History  of  Brazil,”  Vol.  I,  p.  314,  London,  1823.  Gaffarel  in 
his  “Histoire  du  Bresil  Franqais  au  Seizieme  SiScle, ” referring  to  Rio  de 
Janeiro  observes  sadly:  “Elle  aurait  pu  etre  fran^aise;  grace  a nos  fautes  elle 
devint  portugaise.  Ce  n’etait  pas  la  premiere  et  ce  ne  sera  sans  doute  la  der- 
niere  fois  que  nous  avons  seme  et  que  d’autres  plus  adroits  et  plus  patients  ont 
recolte.  P.  350,  Paris,  1878. 


72 


SOUTH  AMERICA’S  CITY  BEAUTIFUL 


venerable  emperor,  Dom  Pedro,  who  for  nearly  half  a cen- 
tury had  guided  the  destinies  of  the  empire  to  which  he 
was  ever  bound  by  the  strongest  ties  of  love  and  devotion. 
Averse,  by  temperament  and  education,  to  all  useless  vio- 
lence, he  resigned  himself  to  the  inevitable.  Majestically 
and  without  a word  of  bitterness,  he  quietly  chose  the  road 
to  exile,  in  which  he  died  two  years  later.1  His  last  words, 
addressed  in  his  farewell  manifesto  to  the  people  of  Brazil 
before  leaving  its  shores  forever,  were  words  of  benedic- 
tion and  a prayer  for  the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  the 
land  which  had  always  been  the  chief  object  of  his  thoughts 
and  affections. 

As  an  evidence  of  how  fondly  he  is  still  remembered,  it 
suffices  to  state  that  for  some  time  past  a movement  has 
been  on  foot  to  have  his  remains  brought  back  to  his  natal 
land  and  given  a worthy  resting-place  in  the  capital  which 
he  loved  so  much. 

While  immersed  in  reverie,  recalling  the  notable  events 
of  which  Pao  d’Assucar  had  been  for  centuries  the  mute 
witness,  and  enraptured  by  the  magic  of  the  Bay  of  Guana- 
bara,  whose  enchanted  islands  seemed  like  gigantic  galleys 
setting  sail  for  fairyland,  I was  suddenly  awakened  by  the 
gentle  voice  of  one  beside  me  who  said:  “You  think  this 
beautiful ; but  wait  until  you  ascend  Corcovado ; wait  until 
you  visit  Tijuca.  Then  you  will  be  even  more  pleased  than 
you  are  here.” 

It  did  not  seem  possible  that  any  point  could  offer  more 
entrancing  pictures  than  the  lofty  pinnacle  on  which  we 
were  then  standing.  But  a few  days  later  I had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  realizing  the  truth  of  my  friend’s  prediction.  We 
visited  both  Corcovado  and  Tijuca  and  the  hours  spent  in 
the  contemplation  of  the  wonders  seen  from  their  wooded 
heights  were  hours  of  uninterrupted  rapture. 

Corcovado  is  nearly  a thousand  feet  higher  than  Pao 

'Prince  Louis  d ’Orleans — Bragance,  in  “Sous  La  Croix  du  Sud, ” p.  19, 
Paris,  1912. 


73 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


d’Assucar,  while  the  peak  of  Tijuca  rises  more  than  a thou- 
sand feet  above  the  summit  of  Corcovado.  This  increase 
in  elevation  gives  a corresponding  increase  in  the  range  of 
vision  and  in  the  marvels  of  aerial  perspective.  But,  besides 
this,  we  have  in  the  two  highest  peaks  a wealth  of  vegeta- 
tion that  is  entirely  absent  from  the  almost  barren  rock  of 
Pao  d’Assucar.  And  we  have,  too,  facilities  for  studying 
at  our  leisure  the  wonders  of  forest  growth  which  clothes 
the  flanks  of  both  Corcovado  and  Tijuca  from  base  to 
summit. 

The  ascent  of  Corcovado  is  effected  by  a carefully  con- 
structed rack  and  pinion  railway,  while  the  glories  of  Tiju- 
ca may  easily  be  reached  by  carriage  or  automobile. 

With  a wisdom  that  cannot  be  too  highly  commended, 
the  government  has  forbidden  the  cutting  down  of  trees 
on  the  mountains  surrounding  Rio  de  Janeiro.  For  this 
reason,  one  may  find  the  virgin  forest  in  all  its  wealth  of 
tree  and  vine  and  shrub  within  a few  minutes’  drive  from 
the  heart  of  the  city.  And  to  preserve  in  its  entirety  the 
aspect  of  this  forest  primeval,  the  law  for  the  protection 
of  game  and  all  harmless  wild  animals  is  as  strictly  en- 
forced as  it  is  in  our  Yellowstone  Park.  Nowhere  are  the 
happy  results  of  such  legislation  more  clearly  manifested 
than  along  the  roads  and  pathways  of  Tijuca  and  Corco- 
vado. Being  unmolested,  the  denizens  of  the  forest  become 
accustomed  to  the  presence  of  man  and  many  species  of 
them  are  frequently  seen  during  the  course  of  a single  hour 
— species,  too,  that  in  our  northern  lands  are  never  seen 
outside  a menagerie. 

As  we  were  looking  out  of  the  car  on  our  way  to  the 
summit  of  Corcovado,  my  companion  called  my  attention 
to  a tree  that  was  completely  stripped  of  its  leaves. 
“That,”  he  said,  “is  the  work  of  the  sloth.  It  is  very  fond 
of  the  leaves  of  this  species  of  tree  and  it  makes  the  tree 
its  home  until  it  has  devoured  its  foliage,  when  it  goes 
to  another  and  treats  it  in  the  same  manner.” 

74 


View  of  Rio  de  Janeiro  and  Guanabara  Bay  from  Summit  of  Corcovado. 


SOUTH  AMERICA’S  CITY  BEAUTIFUL 


But  what  particularly  arrested  my  attention  was  the 
immense  number  of  butterflies  of  every  size  and  hue.  They 
seemed  to  be  fully  as  numerous  as  in  certain  parts  of  the 
Amazon  valley,  which,  since  the  time  of  Bates,  has  been  the 
favorite  hunting-grounds  for  these  beautiful  insects  by  en- 
tomologists from  all  parts  of  the  world.  In  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  there  are  no  fewer  than  eight 
hundred  species  of  butterflies.  Among  these  are  many  rep- 
resentatives of  the  wonderful  celestial  blue  Morpho,  some 
of  which  have  an  expanse  of  wing  of  no  less  than  seven 
inches.  As  seen  floating  through  the  perfumed  air  of  the 
dim  solitudes  of  the  tropical  forest,  I could  well  fancy  them 
as  the  sylphs  of  the  morning  basking  in  the  sunshine,  or 
as  the  elves  of  eve  seeking  their  home  in  the  moonbeams. 
The  poetess,  Jane  Catulle  Mendez,  brings  them  before  us 
in  all  their  beauty  when  she  depicts  them  with  “Couleur  de 
tons  les  cieux  et  de  toute  la  mer” — color  of  all  the  skies 
and  of  all  the  sea. 

The  summit  of  Corcovado  is  provided  with  a graceful 
open  pavilion — Chapeo  do  Sol — and  a stone  balcony,  where 
one  finds  a prospect  that  at  once  enthralls  attention  and 
excites  emotion,  even  in  the  breast  of  the  most  blase  world- 
roamer.  Far  beneath  us  is  the  radiant  city  of  Rio  de 
Janeiro,  held  in  the  heart  of  the  woods.  The  homes  of  its 
people  glow  with  gold  melting  into  the  green  of  the  gardens 
and  parks.  The  Bay  of  Guanabara  glimmers  with  silver, 
while  its  palm-covered  inlets  along  the  shore  are  liquid 
mazes  of  turquoise  and  aquamarine.  The  islands  that  sleep 
in  its  tranquil  bosom  seem  veiled  in  a flickering  haze  tinged 
with  green  and  gold.  Ships  of  all  sizes  are  seen  creeping 
into  the  harbor  from  the  broad  Atlantic  and  saluting  other 
craft  that  are  slowly  gliding  out  into  the  ocean’s  immense 
expanse.  Tijuca  and  the  Serra  dos  Orgaos  are  still  draped 
in  the  delicate  white  mist  of  the  morning,  but,  under  the 
magical  action  of  the  sun,  it  is  soon  dispersed  into  a sparkle 
of  opal  and  topaz.  Through  the  climbing  valleys  that  are 

75 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


seen  on  every  side  there  are  marvelous  harmonies  of  color 
— of  emerald  and  sapphire,  of  amber  and  amethyst.  Light 
and  shadow  play  almost  mystically  over  the  landscape.  A 
delicate,  drowsy  languor  seems  to  hang  upon  the  city — 
the  home  of  happy  shadows  and  dancing  sunbeams.  It  is 
like  one  of  the  glorious  dreams  of  Titian,  one  of  the  superb 
visions  of  Turner. 

It  is  related  that  Mohammed,  while  yet  a camel-driver, 
looked  upon  Damascus  from  a neighboring  mountain,  but 
refused  to  enter  it,  lest  he  should  there  be  tempted  to  fore- 
go the  glories  of  Paradise.  Would  he  have  been  proof 
against  temptation  could  he  have  caught  a glimpse  of 
Brazil’s  city  beautiful  from  the  summit  of  Corcovadof 

On  our  way  down  from  Corcovado’s  summit  we  stopped 
at  Paneiras,  where  there  is  a small  and  well-patronized 
hotel.  I found  here  a young  couple  from  New  York,  who 
were  spending  a part  of  their  honeymoon  in  this  entranc- 
ing spot.  They  could  not  have  selected  a quieter,  or  a more 
lovely  place.  There  is  a beautiful  promenade  along  the 
Carioca  aqueduct  which  dates  from  colonial  times  and 
which,  until  recently,  supplied  the  city  with  delicious  water. 
The  aqueduct  is  built  after  the  style  of  the  old  Roman 
conduits  and  will  bear  comparison  with  the  most  noted 
structures  of  this  kind  in  the  Campagna.  Its  starting-point 
is  several  miles  above  Paneiras  in  the  depth  of  the  dark, 
tangled  forest  which  envelops  the  mountain.  The  path 
parallels  the  aqueduct  for  many  miles  and  is  the  most 
charming  promenade  imaginable. 

“When  I wish  to  get  away  from  the  noise  of  the  city 
and  the  stress  and  strain  of  business,”  said  my  companion, 
“I  come  here  for  a few  days  and  then  I return  to  work 
thoroughly  refreshed.”  I fear  I envied  him  this  silent 
retreat,  where  he  could  enjoy,  at  one  and  the  same  time, 
all  the  beauties  of  wild  nature  and  all  the  delights  of  re- 
freshing solitude. 

What  interested  me  almost  as  much  as  the  transcend- 

7G 


SOUTH  AMERICA’S  CITY  BEAUTIFUL 


ent  loveliness  of  this  place  was  an  Indian  tradition  about 
the  virtues  of  the  water  of  Carioca.  Like  that  of  the  Cas- 
talian  spring  on  Mt.  Parnassus,  it  is  said  to  give  inspira- 
tion to  those  who  drink  it.  Is  that  the  reason  why  poesy 
and  eloquence  are  so  common  among  the  people  of  Rio  de 
Janeiro?  If  not,  it  is,  at  all  events,  true  that  Tijuca’s  crys- 
tal stream,  canopied  with  tropic  hush  and  tree,  is  incom- 
parably more  beautiful  and  picturesque  than  the  unadorned 
rivulet  that  courses  from  the  Fountain  of  the  Muses  down 
the  treeless  slope  of  Parnassus. 

No  one  who  has  made  the  ascent  of  Pao  d’Assucar  or 
Corcovado  can  ever  forget  his  thrills  of  rapture  as  he 
contemplated  the  wonders  of  city,  bay,  mountain  and  ocean, 
as  viewed  from  these  giddy  heights.  But  there  are  views 
equally  superb  to  be  had  from  many  lookouts  on  the  heights 
of  Tijuca.  In  addition  to  these,  there  has  been  constructed 
through  the  forest-clad  slopes  of  this  lofty  mountain  one 
of  the  most  picturesque  and  fascinating  drives  that  can 
be  imagined.  For  twelve  miles,  or  more,  there  is  a con- 
tinual succession  of  pictures  such  as  one  can  find  only  in 
the  tropics  and  in  the  most  favored  spots  of  the  cloud- 
cleaving Cordilleras. 

Day  or  night,  there  is  nothing  more  restful  and  stimulat- 
ing than  the  Tijuca  drive.  To  the  wearied  senses  and  to 
the  jaded  mind  it  is  a tonic  whose  action  is  immediate.  For, 
whether  one  surveys  the  wonders  of  nature  at  and  around 
the  Alto  da  Boa  Vista,  or  from  the  Emperor’s  Table,  or 
from  the  Vista  Chineza,  or  from  Bom  Retiro,  or  from  Ex- 
celsior, one  is  sure  to  experience  everywhere  a new  thrill 
of  delight.  All  the  emotions  are  stirred  and  the  intellect 
is  wakened  to  unwonted  activity.  Even  the  most  phleg- 
matic temperament  is  whipped  to  instant  alertness. 

Colonel  Roosevelt  and  I met  at  the  Emperor’s  Table, 
and  both  of  us  stood  for  some  time  in  silent  ecstasy  at  the 
marvelous  panorama  spread  out  before  and  beneath  us. 
Never  before  or  since  have  I seen  the  Colonel  so  completely 

77 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


under  the  subtle  spell  of  Nature’s  witchery.  After  gazing 
silently  for  some  time,  he  turned  towards  me  and  ex- 
claimed with  unsuppressed  emotion,  “Wonderful!  wonder- 
ful ! I have  never  seen  anything  more  surpassingly  beau- 
tiful.” 

Everywhere,  on  both  sides  of  the  road,  we  have  the  wild, 
unkempt  luxuriance  of  the  tropical  forest.  There  are  the 
secular  giants  of  the  woodlands,  with  tall,  massive  trunks 
and  noble  crowns  of  green  and  silver.  There  are  vast 
stretches  of  cedar  and  jacaranda,  of  paroba  and  samambaia, 
of  palm  and  aroeira  and  tree-fern,  of  cinnamon,  jequitiba, 
and  candelabra,  casting  masses  of  shade  and  lifting  their 
gently  waving  boughs  towards  the  dazzling,  life-giving  sun. 
The  clear  mountain  air  is  vibrant  with  the  whirr  of  myriads 
of  insects,  and  rings  with  the  voices  of  countless  birds  in 
the  shadows  of  the  trees.  The  vagrant  movements  of  thou- 
sands of  butterflies  of  the  most  brilliant  hues  enliven  the 
scene,  while  the  silvery  voices  of  streams  by  the  wayside 
make  perpetual  melody.  The  whole  mountain,  with  its  wild 
turmoil  of  rocks  and  ravines,  seems  to  be  quivering  with 
golden  light  and  with  delicate,  ethereal  harmonies.  The 
wildness  of  nature  and  the  bosky  twilight  are  full  of  ro- 
mance, while  the  warm  and  caressing  atmosphere,  the  scents 
of  hidden  flowers,  and  the  charm  of  remoteness  and  tran- 
quillity make  one  fancy  one  is  in  a land  of  dreams,  or  in  a 
region  of  enchantment. 

I could  then  understand,  better  than  ever  before,  the 
frame  of  mind  of  Homer’s  lotus-eaters,  and  felt  that  it 
would  be  no  renunciation  to  spend  the  rest  of  one’s  days  in 
a land  where  Nature,  in  all  her  manifestations,  is  so  su- 
premely, so  ravishingly  beautiful. 

I was  never  able  to  decide,  while  in  Rio  de  Janeiro,  at 
what  hour  of  the  day  the  city  and  its  matchless  surround- 
ings are  seen  at  the  best — whether  in  the  early  morning, 
when  white,  fleecy  mists  hang  over  Tijuca  and  the  Serra 
dos  Orgaos;  or  at  noontide,  when  the  houses  along  Beira 

78 


SOUTH  AMERICA’S  CITY  BEAUTIFUL 


Mar  gleam  in  tlie  golden  sunshine  and  the  stately  palm 
trees  toss  their  noble  crowns  towards  the  bright,  blue  sky ; 
or  at  sunset  when  mountain  peak  and  terrace  are  suffused 
with  rose  and  violet  and  all  seems  translucent  with  a magic 
glow ; or  in  the  soft,  pearly  moonlight,  when  calm  and  peace 
hover  over  the  landscape  and  make  it  in  very  truth  A Ci- 
dade  de  Sonho — the  home  of  dreams. 

The  last  afternoon  I spent  in  the  city  beautiful,  I said 
to  a friend,  “Let  us  take  a drive  along  the  bay  and  the 
ocean ; I wish  to  get  a last  view  of  the  city,  as  the  sun  sinks 
behind  the  mountains.”  It  was  an  hour  or  two  before 
sunset.  The  air  was  balmy  and  laden  with  the  fragrance  of 
flowers  and  spices.  From  the  sea  came  a cool  and  gentle 
breeze  which  had  a savory  freshness  that  is  peculiar  to  the 
ocean.  On  one  side  of  us  was  the  enchanting  Bay  of  Guana- 
bara  whose 


“ — Islands  empurpled  bright, 

Floated  amid  the  livelier  light,” 

and  on  the  other  were 

“ — Mountains  that  like  giants  stand, 

To  sentinel  enchanted  land.” 

As  the  afternoon  wanes  and  the  evening  comes  on  apace, 
the  fascination  of  our  environment  increases,  and  God  is 
felt  in  nature  with  an  intensity  that  is  startling. 

Presently  one  notes  changing  wonders  of  light  over 
mountains  and  sea.  The  bay  gleams  with  gold,  the  city  is 
touched  with  a soft,  roseate  flush,  while  Gavea,  Corcovado 
and  the  Serra  dos  Orgaos  are  covered  with  a delicate  veil 
of  purple  and  violet. 

‘ ‘ ’locrrf<£avos ! — the  city  of  the  violet  crown ! ” I exclaimed. 
For  Rio  de  Janeiro  then  appeared  to  me,  as  did  Athens 
to  Aristophanes,  when  he  applied  to  it  the  graphic  epi- 

79 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


tliet  by  which  it  has  ever  since  been  known.  And  as 
Athens  is  garlanded  by  the  air-empurpled  heights  of  Hy- 
mettus,  Pentelicus  and  Lycabettus,  so  also  is  Brazil’s  cap- 
ital crowned  with  a canopy  of  violet  and  purple  which  rests 
on  its  magic  circle  of  serra  and  morro. 

‘ ‘ What,  ’ ’ I asked  my  companion,  ‘ ‘ what  marvelous  crea- 
tions would  not  the  old  Greeks,  with  their  highly  developed 
mythopceic  faculty,  have  given  us  if  they  had  had  such 
unequaled  material  to  work  on  as  we  here  behold?  With 
surroundings  far  less  grandiose  and  inspiring,  they  were 
able  to  personify  the  powers  of  earth,  air  and  water,  of 
streams,  forests  and  mountains,  in  a manner  that  has  never 
been  approached  by  the  people  of  any  other  nation.  But 
with  an  island-studded  bay  like  Guanabara,  and  crystalline 
streams  like  Carioca,  and  lovely  cascades  like  Itamar ; with 
caverns  and  grottoes  like  those  named  after  Agassiz  and 
Paul  and  Virginia,  with  forest-clad  mountains  like  Tijuca, 
Corcovado  and  the  Serra  dos  Orgaos  which  are  incom- 
parably more  beautiful  than  Helicon  or  Parnassus  or 
Olympus,  to  stimulate  their  genius,  they  would  have  peo- 
pled all  these  places  with  gods  and  goddesses,  with  nymphs 
and  centaurs  in  a way  that  would  have  far  surpassed  even 
their  best  efforts  in  the  favored  land  of  Hellas.” 

All  this,  I know,  reads  like  a rhapsody,  but  it  is  difficult 
not  to  be  rhapsodical  when  one  is  standing  in  the  presence 
of  what  is  so  marvelously,  so  ineffably  beauteous.  It  has 
been  my  privilege  to  visit  most  of  the  world’s  great  cities 
and  to  contemplate  many  of  the  most  enchanting  panoramas 
of  five  continents,  but  there  are  few — very  few — of  all  these 
places  which  have  fully  met  my  anticipations;  which,  like 
Bio  de  Janeiro  and  its  surroundings,  have  given  me  that 
rarest  of  sensations,  perfect  satisfaction. 

More  than  this,  I felt  then,  and  I feel  now,  that  if  I had 
to  spend  all  the  rest  of  my  days  in  any  one  city,  I should 
prefer  to  spend  them  in  Rio  de  Janeiro.  And  I should  make 
my  choice  without  the  slightest  hesitation.  Its  delightful 

80 


SOUTH  AMERICA’S  CITY  BEAUTIFUL 


and  equable  climate,1  its  salubrious  atmosphere,  its  gor- 
geous landscapes,  all  contribute  to  make  it  unique  among 
cities  and  as  near  an  approach  to  a terrestrial  paradise  as 
the  world  can  offer. 

One  of  the  most  trying  experiences  incident  to  traveling 
in  foreign  lands,  as  every  traveler  knows,  is  the  tearing 
oneself  away  from  generous  hosts  and  newly  made  friends, 
from  places  in  which  one  would  willingly,  if  time  or 
duty  permitted,  tarry  for  months  and  years.  I have 
often  experienced  the  pain  of  parting  in  many  parts  of  the 
world,  but  never  so  much  as  when  leaving  the  Ville  Mer- 
veilleuse  of  Brazil.  Only  one  word  in  any  language  I know 
fully  expressed  my  feelings  as  I clasped  the  hands  of  the 
many  good  friends  who  had  come  to  the  station  to  bid  us 
farewell  and  wish  us  Godspeed  on  our  long  and  strenuous 
journey.2  That  is  the  eloquent  Portuguese  word  saudade — 
a word  which  signifies  regret  at  leaving  and  an  intense  de- 
sire to  see  again  persons  and  things  we  have  learned  to 
love — that  longing  for  the  past  which,  in  the  words  of  Ca- 
moens,  is  pure,  bitter-sweet  torment — Tormento  puro,  doce 
e magoado. 

I then  recalled  the  words  of  the  Portuguese  novelist, 
Ega  Queiroz,  about  the  people  of  Brazil,  who  declares  “Os 
homens  tem  intelligencia;  as  mulheres  tem  belleza;  ambos 
a mais  bella,  a melhor  das  qualidades — a bondade.”  3 It 

1 The  mean  temperature  of  Eio  de  Janeiro,  based  on  observations  extending 
over  a period  of  forty  years,  is  70°  F.  Its  lowest  temperature  is  41°  F.,  while 
the  thermometer  never  reaches  the  heights  frequently  attained  in  Washington, 
Chicago  and  New  York.  During  the  extreme  heats  of  summer  the  people  of 
Rio  de  Janeiro  have  always  an  agreeable  refuge  in  Petropolis  and  other  near 
mountain  towns  where  the  climate  is  delightful. 

2 Dr.  Lauro  Muller,  the  minister  of  foreign  affairs,  who  took  a very  special 

interest  in  our  expedition,  was  also  among  those  who  came  to  the  station  to 
speed  the  parting  guests.  As  he  bade  me  a cordial  good-bye,  he  said  in  the 
kindliest  manner:  “You  men  from  the  United  States  of  the  North  are  going 

to  make  known  to  us  Brazilians  a part  of  our  country  of  which  we  are  still 
ignorant.  ’ ’ 

8 The  men  have  intelligence ; the  women  beauty ; both,  the  most  beautiful 
and  the  best  of  qualities — goodness. 


81 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


was  the  goodness  of  the  people  of  the  world’s  City  Beauti- 
ful that  most  strongly  appealed  to  me,  and,  when  bidding 
them  adieu,  I felt  that  I was  leaving  with  them  a part  of 
my  heart — a feeling  vThich  a French  writer  has  so  well  ex- 
pressed when  he  says:  “Partir  . . . c’est  mourir  un  peu.” 


CHAPTER  V 


AMONG  THE  PROGRESSIVE  PAULISTAS 

A little  more  than  three  and  a half  centuries  ago,  thir- 
teen Jesuit  missionaries  went  from  Sao  Vincente,  near  the 
present  city  of  Santos,  to  the  plains  of  Piritininga  to  es- 
tablish a colony  among  the  Indians,  whom  they  wished  to 
evangelize  and  civilize.  They  celebrated  mass  there  for 
the  first  time  on  the  feast  of  the  conversion  of  St.  Paul, 
and  for  this  reason  they  named  their  new  home  Sao  Paulo. 
They  then  proceeded  immediately  to  erect  a college,  which 
was  likewise  called  Sao  Paulo.  It  was  at  first  a very  modest 
structure,  for  its  walls  were  of  wattle-work,  its  roof  of 
straw,  and  its  dimensions  were  only  ten  by  fourteen  paces. 
But  small  as  it  was,  it  had  to  serve  for  school,  dormitory, 
kitchen,  refectory,  storeroom,  and  infirmary.  All  the  in- 
mates slept  in  hammocks.  And,  as  the  building  was  not 
provided  with  a chimney,  it  was  so  often  filled  with  smoke 
that  teachers  and  pupils  found  it,  even  during  the  cold 
of  winter,  more  endurable  to  have  classes  in  the  open  air. 
A young  aspirant  to  the  priesthood,  whose  father  was  a 
Spaniard  and  whose  mother  was  a native  of  the  Canary 
Islands,  was  in  charge  of  the  school.  His  name  was  Jose 
de  Anchieta — a name  that  was  destined  to  reflect  glory  not 
only  on  the  religious  society  of  which  he  was  a member 
but  also  on  the  land  of  his  adoption.  For,  while  the  young 
Jesuit  was  teaching  the  Indians  and  Mamelucos  1 Latin, 


1 The  name — in  English,  Mamelukes — given  in  Brazil  to  the  offspring  of  a 
Negro  and  an  Indian.  It  is  also  employed  to  designate  the  slave-dealers — 
mostly  of  Portuguese  and  Indian  blood — who  created  such  havoc  in  the  Reduc- 
tions of  Paraguay  and  who  extended  their  raids  through  Matto  Grosso  as  far 

83 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


lie  was  learning  from  them  their  own  language — the  Tupi. 
And  it  was  in  this  primitive  structure  that  he  began  his 
famous  grammar  and  dictionary  of  the  lingua  geral  which 
are  still  the  best  in  existence.  It  was  here,  too,  that  he 
wrote  hymns  in  Latin,  Spanish,  Tupi  and  Portuguese  for 
his  pupils  and  entered  upon  that  career  of  literary  activity 
which  has  caused  him  to  be  regarded  as  the  father  of 
Brazilian  literature.1 

No  better  place  could  have  been  selected  for  a town. 
Located  in  a temperate  region  and  on  a plateau  twenty- 
four  hundred  feet  above  sea-level,  it  was  an  admirable 
site  for  a great  city.  The  soil  of  the  surrounding  coun- 
try was  fertile  and  well  watered  by  numerous  streams 
and  rivers.  It  produced  fruits  of  the  temperate  as  well 
as  of  the  tropical  zone  and  its  climate  was  delightful. 

And  no  better  man  than  Anchieta  could  have  been  se- 
lected to  civilize  and  Christianize  the  Indians.  He  loved 
them  more  than  home  or  country,  and  devoted  himself 
unremittingly,  during  a long  and  busy  life,  to  their  tem- 
poral and  spiritual  welfare.  Not  since  the  days  of  Las 
Casas  had  the  aborigines  had  an  abler  defender  or  a more 
zealous  protector. 

A town  founded  in  such  a favorable  place  was  bound 
to  grow  and  prosper.  And  the  influence  of  such  a man 
as  Anchieta,  on  both  the  Indians  and  the  Portuguese,  was 
sure  to  be  felt  not  only  during  his  lifetime  but  for  genera- 
tions afterwards.  All  his  efforts  were  directed  towards 

as  the  Amazon.  This  “perverse  generation,”  as  Charlevoix  calls  them,  “car- 
ried their  disorders  of  every  kind  to  such  an  excess,  that,  in  process  of  time, 
they  came  to  be  called  Mamelus,  on  account  of  their  great  resemblance  to  those 
slaves  of  the  ancient  sultans  of  Egypt.  ” “ The  History  of  Paraguay,  ’ ’ Vol.  I, 
p.  212,  London,  1769. 

1 “ O Padre  Anchieta  nao  foi  so  o mais  antigue  vulto  da  litteratura  bra- 
zileira,  porem  o seu  inicial  factor.”  Mello  Moraes  Filho,  in  “Parnaso  Bra- 
zileiro,  ” Vol.  I,  p.  4,  in  the  appendix.  Rio  de  Janeiro,  1885. 

His  poem  of  more  than  five  thousand  verses  on  the  Blessed  Virgin  was 
written  while  he  was  a hostage  of  the  Tamoyo  Indians.  Not  having  pen,  ink 
or  paper,  he  wrote  it  in  the  sand  and  then  committed  it  to  memory. 

84 


AMONG  THE  PROGRESSIVE  PALTLISTAS 


having  the  two  races  live  in  peace  and  harmony.  And 
being  of  a peculiarly  sympathetic  nature,  he  was  able  to 
get  nearer  the  hearts  of  the  Mamelucos  than  could  most 
Europeans  whose  pride  of  birth  made  them  hold  aloof  from 
half-breeds,  as  well  as  from  Indians,  as  beings  of  a lower 
caste. 

The  foregoing  were  some  of  the  reflections  suggested  by 
my  first  view  of  Sao  Paulo — in  population  the  second  city 
in  Brazil,  in  energy  and  enterprise  the  first.  The  mustard 
seed  that  had  been  planted  by  Anchieta  and  his  confreres 
had  become  the  greatest  among  herbs.1 

Sao  Paulo  is  often  called  the  Chicago,  and  the  Paulistas 
the  Yankees  of  Brazil.  Both  epithets  are  well  merited,  for 
in  no  other  part  of  the  republic  will  one  find  greater  busi- 
ness activity,  keener  or  more  successful  representatives 
of  commerce  and  industry  than  here  in  the  city  and  state 
of  Sao  Paulo. 

Like  Rio  de  Janeiro,  Sao  Paulo  shows  a colonial  city 
within  a modern  one— a city  of  narrow  tortuous  streets 
within  an  encircling  metropolis  of  broad  and  attractive 
avenues.  The  Rua  do  Ouvidor  of  Sao  Paulo  is  the  street 
called  the  Fifteenth  of  November,  which  is  always  a center 
of  animation  and  commercial  activity.  In  the  older  part 
of  the  city,  as  well  as  in  the  more  modern,  one  will  find 
large  and  imposing  stores  and  office  buildings,  many  of 
which  are  beautiful  specimens  of  architecture.  All  of  them 
are  veritable  beehives  of  business  enterprise,  and  remind 
one  of  the  feverish  movement  which  characterizes  the  mer- 
cantile centers  of  New  York  and  Chicago.  The  state  and 
municipal  buildings  are  quite  worthy  of  the  great  and 
rich  commonwealth  of  Sao  Paulo  and  are  among  the  most 
notable  structures  of  the  kind  in  the  republic.  Among 
these  is  the  Municipal  Theater,  which,  like  that  of  the 

1 For  interesting  accounts  of  the  beginnings  of  SSo  Paulo  and  the  labors 
of  Padre  Anchieta,  see  “Chronica  da  Companhia  de  Jesu  do  Estado  do  Brazil,” 
Vol.  II,  pp.  58,  59,  by  Simao  de  Vasconcellos,  Lisbon,  1865,  and  “Vie  du 
Venerable  Joseph  Anchieta,”  Chap.  IV,  by  Charles  Sainte-Foy,  Paris,  1858. 

85 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


federal  capital,  is  modeled  after  L’ Opera  of  Paris.  It 
is,  however,  larger  than  that  of  Rio  de  Janeiro  and,  being 
located  in  an  open  space,  produces  a much  better  effect 
than  the  one  in  the  restricted  quarter  of  the  national  capi- 
tal. There  is  no  theater  in  the  United  States  that  at  all 
approaches  it  architecturally  and  its  noble  fagade,  adorned 
with  thirty-two  rose-granite  columns — all  monoliths — 
makes  it  one  of  the  most  imposing  edifices  of  the  kind  in 
the  world.  It,  like  many  other  of  the  city ’s  attractive  build- 
ings, is  the  work  of  a Sao  Paulo  architect,  Dr.  Ramos  de 
Azevedo. 

But  probably  the  noblest  specimen  of  architecture  in 
Sao  Paulo,  if  not  in  Brazil,  is  the  work  of  the  Italian  ar- 
chitect, Bezzi,  who  has  designed  a series  of  palaces  of 
marked  originality  and  beauty.  This  is  the  splendid  monu- 
ment of  Ipiranga,  erected  on  an  eminence  near  the  city, 
where  Dom  Pedro  I,  on  September  8,  1822,  proclaimed  the 
independence  of  Brazil  from  Portugal.  It  is  now  used  as  a 
zoological  and  ethnographical  museum,  and  is,  with  the 
famous  Museo  Goeldi  of  Para,  the  best  in  Brazil.  Colonel 
Roosevelt  and  I spent  several  delightful  and  instructive 
hours  within  its  walls,  and  thanks  to  the  courtesy  of  its 
eminent  curator,  Dr.  von  Iliering,  a German  naturalist  of 
international  fame,  we  were  able  to  examine  its  many  rare 
treasures  under  the  most  favorable  auspices.  Like  the 
Museum  of  Para,  it  is  particularly  rich  in  specimens  illus- 
trating the  fauna  and  the  peculiar  ethnographic  features 
of  Brazil  and  is  one  of  the  institutions  that  no  visitor  to 
Sao  Paulo  should  fail  to  visit. 

Another  institution  that  Colonel  Roosevelt  and  I found 
intensely  interesting  was  the  Instituto  Serumtherapico  of 
Butantan,  in  the  suburbs  of  the  city.  From  an  architec- 
tural standpoint  it  does  not  at  all  compare  with  the  grandi- 
ose museum  of  Ipiranga,  although  it  is  a large  and  attrac- 
tive edifice  and  well  adapted  for  the  purpose  for  which  it 
is  used.  In  many  ways  the  work  of  the  institute  is  quite 

86 


Museum  op  Ypiranga.  Sao  Paulo. 


Ecclesiastical  Seminary.  Sao  Paulo. 


AMONG  THE  PROGRESSIVE  PAULISTAS 


unique.  For,  in  addition  to  scientific  research,  it  prepares 
various  serums  and  vaccines  for  diphtheria,  smallpox  and 
other  infectious  diseases.  But  its  principal  and  most  re- 
markable products  are  serums  which  have  been  discovered 
by  the  eminent  director  of  the  institute,  Dr.  Vidal  Brazil. 
These  serums  are  used  for  treating  snake-bites  and  are  of 
three  different  kinds.  One  is  an  antidote  for  the  poison 
of  the  rattlesnake.  Another  is  used  to  counteract  the 
deadly  venom  of  the  jararaca,  the  urutu  and  various  spe- 
cies of  the  much  dreaded  lachesis.  The  third  is  employed 
as  a prophylactic  against  the  poison  of  any  serpent  what- 
ever, and  is  of  special  value  when  it  is  not  known  by  what 
species  of  reptile  one  has  been  bitten. 

The  work  of  the  Instituto  Serumtherapico  is  carried  on 
in  essentially  the  same  manner  as  that  of  the  celebrated 
Institut  Pasteur  in  Paris.  And  the  method  of  preparing 
the  antiopliidic  serums  is  based  on  the  same  principles. 
In  Brazil,  where  there  are  so  many  venomous  serpents  and 
where  the  poorer  classes,  in  consequence  of  going  bare- 
footed, are  frequently  bitten  by  them,  the  serums  of  Dr. 
Brazil  have  been  instrumental  in  saving  countless  lives. 
In  a single  year,  it  is  estimated,  the  number  of  persons 
bitten  by  noxious  serpents  in  Brazil  totals  nearly  twenty 
thousand.  Of  these  about  one-fourth  die  from  the  wounds 
inflicted.  In  cases,  however,  in  which  the  antitoxin  is  ad- 
ministered in  time  there  are  practically  no  deaths.  The 
serum  is  quite  as  efficacious  as  the  antitoxin  for  rabies, 
and  the  percentage  of  lives  saved  by  the  timely  use  of  one 
antidote  is  about  the  same  as  that  of  the  other.  Indeed,  it 
is  scarcely  an  exaggeration  to  say  that  in  the  tropics,  where 
venomous  reptiles  are  so  numerous  and  virulent,  Dr.  Bra- 
zil’s treatment  for  snake-bites  is  as  important  and  as  be- 
neficent as  is  that  of  the  great  Pasteur  for  hydrophobia. 

But  Dr.  Brazil  has  achieved  far  more  than  discovering 
an  antitoxin  for  the  venom  of  reptiles.  He  has,  by  a for- 
tunate accident,  found  a non- venomous  snake  that  not  only 

87 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


kills  the  venomous  species  but  also  devours  them.  This 
is  the  mussurama,  a superb  species  of  ophidian,  which  is 
as  courageous  in  the  presence  of  the  lachesis  and  crotalus 
as  it  is  inoffensive  to  man.  Like  the  mongoose  of  India,  the 
mussurama  seems  to  be  endowed  with  a mortal  hatred  of 
venomous  reptiles  of  all  kinds,  and  it  seeks  for  them  with 
the  same  pertinacity  that  a good  Scotch  terrier  pursues 
a rat. 

After  Dr.  Brazil  had  taken  us  through  his  laboratory 
and  had  shown  us  his  ophidiarium  which  contains,  for  ex- 
perimental purposes,  hundreds  of  noxious  reptiles  from  all 
parts  of  Brazil,  he  placed  on  the  table  a splendid  specimen 
of  the  mussurama,  between  three  and  four  feet  long.  It 
seemed  almost  torpid  and  quite  indifferent  to  the  attention 
it  was  receiving.  After  the  Doctor  had  caressed  it,  to  show 
how  harmless  it  was,  he  put  it  again  on  the  table  and  placed 
near  it  a jararaca  almost  as  large  as  itself.  Immediately 
the  mussurama  shook  off  its  torpidity  and,  like  a flash, 
made  a dart  for  the  head  of  the  jararaca.  The  struggle  was 
fierce  but  short-lived.  For  the  mussurama  soon  had  its 
enemy’s  head  in  its  mouth  and  then  proceeded  to  swallow 
it  bodily.  In  a few  minutes  the  deadly  jaranica  was  inside 
of  the  mussurama,  and  there  was  on  the  table  only  one 
snake — but  almost  twice  the  size  it  was  a few  moments  be- 
fore— instead  of  two. 

I never  saw  Colonel  Roosevelt  more  interested  in  any- 
thing than  in  this  extraordinary  contest  between  these  two 
reptiles.  He  took  the  mussurama  up  in  his  hands  and  after 
examining  it  attentively,  he  exclaimed  with  enthusiasm: 
“It  is  marvelous — marvelous!  I never  saw  anything  like 
it  in  my  life.  I would  not  have  missed  seeing  this  for  any- 
thing.” The  victor  was  then  restored  to  his  cage,  where 
he  was  permitted  to  digest  his  gruesome  meal  without 
further  molestation. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  the  government  of  Sao  Paulo  to 
encourage  the  propagation  of  the  mussurama  as  an  aid  in 

88 


AMONG  THE  PROGRESSIVE  PAULISTAS 


the  extermination  of  the  venomous  serpents  that  are  found 
in  such  numbers  in  so  many  parts  of  the  country.  If  the 
experiment  shall  prove  as  successful  as  anticipated,  the 
same  method  for  the  destruction  of  noxious  reptiles  will 
doubtless  be  introduced  in  other  parts  of  the  republic,  as 
well  as  in  the  West  Indian  Islands,  where  the  terrible  fer- 
de-lance  claims  annually  so  many  victims. 

The  streets  and  parks  and  homes  of  Sao  Paulo  were  for 
me  an  uninterrupted  source  of  delight  and  admiration. 
Everywhere — along  the  broad  avenues,  around  the  beauti- 
ful villas  and  princely  palacetes,  in  the  numerous  breathing 
spots  found  in  all  parts  of  the  city — there  is  an  astonishing 
profusion  of  plants  and  trees  of  both  the  tropical  and 
the  temperate  zones.  So  great  is  the  variety  of  trees  bor- 
dering streets  and  avenues  that  no  two  thoroughfares  seem 
to  exhibit  the  same  species.  In  their  beauty  and  luxuri- 
ance, they  remind  one  of  the  wonderful  arboreal  displays 
of  Para  and  Rio  de  Janeiro.  None  of  our  cities  in  the 
United  States,  except  possibly  Washington,  can  offer  any- 
thing to  compare  with  the  magnificent  exhibition  of  tree 
and  flower  which  so  charm  the  visitor  at  every  turn. 

Many  of  the  residences  in  the  aristocratic  quarters  of 
the  city  interested  me  immensely.  The  styles  of  archi- 
tecture seemed  to  be  as  numerous  as  the  houses  themselves. 
Here  was  a Swiss  chalet,  there  the  home  of  a millionaire 
in  French  Renaissance.  Nearby  was  a Moorish  palace; 
across  the  street  was  a building  that  seemed  to  have  been 
copied  from  one  in  Florence  or  Venice,  while  in  the  next 
block  was  a structure  that  might  have  been  transported 
bodily  from  the  heart  of  Ispahan.  And  all  of  them  were 
surrounded  by  spacious  yards  filled  with  flowers  of  every 
hue  and  adorned  by  trees  of  the  most  delightful  aspect. 

But  here,  as  in  Rio  de  Janeiro,  the  most  beautiful  flowers 
were  stationed  at  the  front  windows — or  seated  in  the 
balconies  overlooking  the  street — lovely,  prattling  children, 
and  charming,  well-gowned  young  women — who  spend  sev- 

89 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


eral  hours  each  day  enjoying  the  fresh  air  of  the  morning 
or  evening  hour,  and  watching  the  stream  of  humanity 
which  defiles  before  them — some  afoot  and  some  in  con- 
veyances of  every  description.  Chirping,  twittering,  smil- 
ing, laughing,  gesticulating,  these  animated,  exquisite, 
happy  flowers  seem  to  experience,  to  the  full,  the  joy  of 
living.  Among  them  are  all  types  of  delicacy  and  loveli- 
ness. For  Sao  Paulo  is  a very  cosmopolitan  city  and  people 
from  all  parts  of  the  world  have  made  their  homes  here. 
And  the  passer-by,  in  addition  to  the  native  Portuguese, 
will  hear  the  musical  tongues  of  the  French,  Spaniard, 
and  Italian,  as  well  as  the  less  mellifluous  voices  of  the 
German  and  the  English.  The  faces  of  the  Italian  and 
Spanish  children  are  especially  beautiful  and  carry  one 
back,  in  fancy,  to  the  sun-lit  towns  of  Calabria  or  the  vine- 
clad  hills  of  Andalusia.  As  in  Spain  and  Portugal,  woman 
in  Sao  Paulo,  and  in  many  parts  of  Brazil,  is  not  yet  a 
plant  for  the  open  air.  She  is  rather  a flower  of  the  con- 
servatory whose  delicate  bloom  is  best  preserved  within 
the  sacred  precincts  of  the  domestic  hearth. 

When  I expressed  a desire  to  see  some  of  the  educational 
and  charitable  institutions  of  Sao  Paulo,  my  escort — a 
prominent  literary  man — immediately  suggested  that  we 
should  visit  Sao  Bento — -the  abbey  and  college  of  the  Bene- 
dictines. “Sao  Bento,”  said  my  companion,  “is  our  best 
college  and  will,  we  hope,  soon  become  a university.  It 
occupies  a position  of  historic  interest,  for  it  was  originally 
the  site  of  the  residence  of  Tebyre^a,  the  old  Indian  chief 
who  was  a great  friend  of  Padre  Anchieta  and  did  so  much 
to  maintain  friendly  relations  between  his  own  people  and 
the  Portuguese.” 

We  were  in  the  reception  room  of  Sao  Bento  only  a 
few  moments  when  the  abbot  appeared  and  greeted  us  in 
the  most  cordial  manner  and  in  perfect  English.  He  was 
a jolly,  good-natured  monk,  learned  and  pious  like  all  the 
sons  of  St.  Benedict.  He  was  of  German  extraction,  and,  to 

90 


AMONG  THE  PROGRESSIVE  PAULISTAS 


my  surprise,  I learned  he  had  come  from  Pennsylvania. 
When  he  introduced  the  members  of  his  faculty,  I was 
delighted  to  find  that  one  of  them  was  a young  Irish- Ameri- 
can priest  from  Jersey  City.  All  were  intensely  interested 
in  their  work  and  were  following  the  best  traditions  of 
their  venerable  predecessors  at  Monte  Cassino.  Like  their 
brethren  in  Europe,  who  had  passed  on  the  torch  of  learn- 
ing from  century  to  century  and  were  everywhere  known 
as  the  “learned  Benedictines,”  so  also  here  in  Sao  Paulo 
these  learned  religious  enjoy  a well-deserved  reputation 
as  scholars  and  successful  teachers.  The  church  and  mon- 
astery of  Sao  Bento  will  well  repay  a visit  and  one  rejoices 
to  learn  that  both  are  so  near  to  the  hearts  of  all  true 
Paulistas.  It  stands  almost  on  the  site  of  the  mud-cov- 
ered wattle  college  of  Padre  Anchieta  and  shows,  better 
than  anything  else,  the  marvelous  advancement  made  by 
the  city  since  the  days  of  its  first  educator. 

Among  other  institutions  of  learning  in  Sao  Paulo  that 
are  sure  to  interest  the  visitor,  are  the  diocesan  seminary, 
the  normal  school,  the  college  of  law,  the  school  of  the 
Dames  de  Sion,  the  kindergarten  and  the  polytechnic  school. 
These  are  all  model  structures  of  their  kind,  well  equipped 
and  filled  with  bright,  ambitious  students.  Besides  these 
really  excellent  homes  of  learning,  there  are  many  other 
school  buildings,  both  public  and  private,  which  would  be 
an  ornament  to  any  city  and  in  which  the  standard  of 
instruction  is  very  high. 

More  surprising  to  most  foreigners,  because  but  little 
known  outside  of  Brazil,  are  the  thoroughly  up-to-date  and 
ably  conducted  schools  of  agriculture  and  zootechny.  It 
is  usually  imagined,  by  most  people,  that  the  Brazilians 
are  still  wedded  to  the  old  colonial  system  of  farming  and 
breeding  of  domestic  animals,  but  this  is  an  error — espe- 
cially in  so  far  as  it  refers  to  the  state  of  Sao  Paulo.  Here 
the  people  are  fully  alive  to  the  benefits  accruing  from 
scientific  agriculture  and  stock  raising,  and  they  spare  no 

91 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


expense  to  secure  the  best  results.  When  necessary,  they 
call  in  distinguished  experts  from  foreign  countries  as  pro- 
fessors and  directors  of  certain  branches  and  departments. 
Thus,  in  the  state  institutions  of  Sao  Paulo  one  will  find 
professors  not  only  from  France  and  Belgium  but  also 
from  the  United  States. 

Among  the  charitable  institutions  of  Sao  Paulo,  the 
largest  and  best  equipped  is  Santa  Casa  da  Misericordia. 
It  is  both  the  oldest  and  the  most  celebrated  hospital  of 
Sao  Paulo  and  contains  no  fewer  than  twelve  hundred  beds 
which  are  always  filled  with  patients  of  all  classes  and  from 
all  parts.  The  medical  staff  of  the  institution  is  composed 
of  the  most  noted  physicians  and  surgeons  of  the  city, 
some  of  whom  have  achieved  an  international  reputation. 
The  Santa  Casa  da  Misericordia  is  under  the  direction 
of  the  Sisters  of  St.  Joseph  of  Chambery,  France.  As  an 
asylum  for  the  sick  and  unfortunate,  it  is  not  surpassed 
in  the  excellence  and  completeness  of  its  appointments,  or 
in  its  architectural  beauty,  by  any  similar  institution  in 
America  or  Europe. 

I have  said  that  Sao  Paulo  is  a cosmopolitan  city.  In 
this  respect  it  is  not  unlike  New  York  or  Chicago.  For  here 
we  find  immigrants  from  Spain,  Portugal,  France,  Ger- 
many, Italy,  England,  Austria  and  other  nations.  The  state 
of  Sao  Paulo  counts  about  three  million  inhabitants,  of 
whom  nearly  one-half  are  foreigners  who  have  arrived  in 
the  country  during  the  past  twenty  years.  In  1891,  nearly 
three  hundred  thousand  immigrants  entered  Brazil — more 
than  a third  of  whom  were  Italians.  A large  proportion 
of  these  settled  in  various  parts  of  the  State  of  Sao  Paulo, 
while  very  many  of  them  made  their  homes  in  the  state’s 
capital.  Everywhere  in  the  city  one  meets  Italians,  most 
of  whom  are  day  laborers.  There  are,  however,  many  who 
are  engaged  in  business  and  in  the  different  professions. 
Among  them  are  many  who  were  so  poor,  when  they  left 
their  own  country,  that  they  were  unable  to  pay  their 

92 


AMONG  THE  PROGRESSIVE  PAULISTAS 


passage  across  the  ocean.  But  now  they  own  comfortable 
homes,  while  not  a few  have  amassed  considerable  fortunes, 
and  would  be  recognized  in  their  mother  country  as  worthy 
descendants  of  the  merchant  princes  of  Genoa  and  Venice. 
Here,  as  in  our  own  country,  they  are  an  industrious,  thrifty 
race,  and  have  contributed  greatly  to  the  development  of 
the  boundless  resources  of  the  country  of  their  adoption. 
They  make  not  only  good  citizens,  but  also  loyal  Brazilians. 

Some  sections  of  the  city  of  Sao  Paulo  are  occupied 
almost  exclusively  by  Italians.  Here,  as  well  as  in  New 
York  City,  there  is  a “Little  Italy,’ ’ where  one  may  at  all 
hours  of  the  day,  and  most  of  the  night,  hear  the  sweet 
tongue  of  Tasso  and  Ariosto.  And  here,  as  in  Naples  and 
Palermo,  one  always  finds  the  streets  full  of  healthy,  play- 
ful, happy  children  whose  melodious  voices  and  peals  of 
laughter  reveal,  as  nothing  else  could,  the  innate  lightheart- 
edness of  these  sunny  natures  in  the  sun. 

As  I saw  the  countless  thousands  of  Italians  in  Sao 
Paulo,  I could  not  but  recall  the  time,  in  the  early  history 
of  the  Portuguese  colonies  in  South  America,  when  it  was 
absolutely  forbidden  for  an  Italian  to  enter  Brazil.  Now 
— striking  irony  of  fate ! — in  many  of  the  towns  of  the  in- 
terior of  the  state,  the  majority  of  the  inhabitants  are  Ital- 
ian immigrants,  or  people  of  Italian  parentage.  And,  if 
the  tide  of  Italian  immigration  continues  a few  years  longer 
to  flow  into  the  city  of  Sao  Paulo  at  the  same  rate  as  during 
the  last  few  decades,  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  sunny 
Italy  will  have  a larger  representation  in  this  rapidly  grow- 
ing metropolis  than  Brazil  herself.  The  climate  here  closely 
resembles  that  of  the  Italian  peninsula,  while  economic 
conditions,  for  most  of  the  immigrants,  are  far  better  than 
those  of  their  motherland. 

One  cannot  fail  to  be  impressed  by  the  large  families 
one  meets  in  the  city  of  Sao  Paulo.  It  is  no  uncommon 
thing  to  find  them  comprising  ten  or  twelve,  or  even  more, 
children.  The  birth  rate  is  nearly  thirty-six  per  thousand. 

93 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


This  is  almost  twice  as  great  as  that  of  London,  and  shows 
that  race-suicide  is  not  making  the  terrible  ravage  here 
that  it  does  in  many  of  the  great  cities  of  Europe  and 
the  United  States.  More  impressive  still  is  the  fact  that 
the  birth  rate  is  more  than  double  the  death  rate — some- 
thing which  can  be  said  of  few  cities  of  this  size.  The  mor- 
tality of  the  city  varies  between  seventeen  and  twenty 
per  thousand.  This  is  lower  than  that  of  many  European 
capitals  and  less  than  half  of  that  of  Mexico  and  Bombay. 
One  could  not  wish  for  better  evidence  of  the  climate’s 
salubrity  or  of  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  city.  No- 
where are  there  more  competent  health  officials  than  here 
and  nowhere  are  all  necessary  hygienic  measures  more  rig- 
idly enforced. 

Nothing  is  more  remarkable  than  the  city’s  extraordi- 
nary increase  in  population  during  the  last  three  decades. 
In  1890  it  counted  barely  fifty  thousand  inhabitants.  Now 
it  claims  nearly  half  a million.  And  everything  indicates 
that  this  increase  will  continue.  It  is  the  metropolis  of 
the  richest  and  most  enterprising  state  in  the  republic  and 
the  great  natural  resources  of  the  surrounding  country  are 
sure  to  guarantee  its  always  being  one  of  the  greatest  and 
most  active  business  centers  of  South  America.  Even  now, 
it  is  surpassed  in  population  only  by  Rio  de  Janeiro  and 
Buenos  Aires. 

As  a gauge  of  the  marvelous  growth  and  prosperity  of 
the  city  and  of  the  abiding  confidence  which  the  leading 
Paulistas  have  in  its  continued  development,  it  suffices  to 
state  that  the  value  of  real  estate  in  and  around  Sao  Paulo 
has  increased  tenfold  within  the  last  few  years.  It  is  doubt- 
ful whether  any  of  our  large  cities  in  the  United  States 
have  witnessed  a more  extraordinary  appreciation  of  land 
values  in  the  same  period  of  time.  This  is  partly  explained 
by  the  fact  that  Sao  Paulo  is  the  home  not  only  of  its  pros- 
perous bankers  and  merchants  but  also  of  many  of  the 
business  men  of  Santos  and  of  the  wealthy  fazendeiros  of 

94 


AMONG  THE  PROGRESSIVE  PAULISTAS 


the  interior  of  the  state,  who  love  to  spend,  with  their  fami- 
lies, a good  part  of  the  year  in  their  bright  and  cheerful 
capital.  Both  in  the  city  proper  and  in  its  charming  sub- 
urbs these  fazendeiros  have  large  and  sumptuous  villas 
and  palacetes  which  would  vie  with  the  noblest  structures 
seen  along  “ Millionaires’  Row”  in  New  York  City. 

It  is  sometimes  asserted  that  the  marvelous  prosperity 
of  the  state  of  Sao  Paulo  is  due  primarily  to  its  salubrious 
climate  and  to  its  fertile  soil.  But  this  is  a mistake.  There 
are  other  states  which  are  equally  blessed  in  these  two  im- 
portant respects.  It  is  to  be  attributed,  rather,  to  the  pe- 
culiar character  of  its  people  whose  boundless  energy,  won- 
derful initiative  and  enterprise  and  passionate  love  of  lib- 
erty have,  from  the  earliest  colonial  times,  so  distinguished 
them,  as  a class  apart,  among  the  other  inhabitants  of 
Brazil.  The  history  of  this  vast  commonwealth  is  full  of 
their  deeds  of  valor,  of  their  daring  adventures,  of  their 
achievements  as  explorers  and  as  Conquistador es  da  Terra. 

On  the  Paulistas  seemed  to  fall  the  mantles  of  the  great 
Spanish  discoverers  and  conquistadores  whose  prodigious 
activity  and  enterprise  had  almost  expired  in  the  wonderful 
performances  of  Irala,  Ayolas  and  Nuflo  de  Chaves.  Like 
those  of  many  of  the  Spaniards,  the  activities  of  the  early 
Paulistas  or  Mamelucos,  as  they  were  called,  were  stimu- 
lated by  the  lust  of  gold.  And  to  secure  this  precious  metal, 
they  stopped  before  no  difficulty,  quailed  before  no  danger, 
however  great.  Equipped  with  their  trusty  sword  and 
musket  and  with  a sack  of  farinha  de  guerra — extracted 
from  mandioca  or  a certain  species  of  palm — they  were 
ready  to  start  on  a journey  of  a month’s  or  a year’s  dura- 
tion. If  their  war  meal  gave  out,  they,  like  Cabeza  de  Yaca 
before  them,  subsisted  on  pine  nuts  and  the  fruits  of  the 
country  they  traversed.  If  these  failed  them,  they  relied 
for  sustenance  on  fish  and  game. 

In  quest  of  gold,  they  traversed  the  vast  territory  now 
comprised  within  the  states  of  Goyaz,  Minas  Geraes, 

95 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Piaulii,  and  far-off  Matto  Grosso.  They  explored  the  To- 
cantins, the  Xingu,  the  Guapore,  the  Mamore,  and  the  Ma- 
deira. And  yet  more.  Under  the  leadership  of  the  intrepid 
Antonio  Eaposo,  a large  party  of  these  gold-seekers,  incred- 
ible as  it  may  seem,  made  their  way  as  far  as  the  province 
of  Quito,  and,  after  a series  of  actions  with  the  Spaniards, 
returned  to  Curupa,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Amazon,  only 
a few  years  after  Texeira’s  epoch-making  voyage  that  has 
been  so  graphically  described  by  Padre  de  Acuna.  Only 
those  who  have  traveled  in  the  wilds  of  South  America 
and  know  how  great  are  the  difficulties  attending  transport 
and  subsistence  in  a country  inhabited  by  hostile  savages 
can  form  an  adequate  conception  of  the  wonderful  feat  ac- 
complished by  Eaposo  and  his  dauntless  companions.  Their 
expedition,  which  took  them  twice  across  a trackless  con- 
tinent, during  which  they  had  to  face  countless  dangers 
and  privations,  was  incomparably  more  difficult  and  ven- 
turesome than  that  of  Lewis  and  Clark  from  St.  Louis 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia.  Indeed,  there  is  nothing 
in  the  history  of  South  American  exploration  to  surpass 
it  except  such  daring  adventures  as  those  of  Gonsalo  Xime- 
nes  de  Quesada  or  Philip  von  Hutten,  in  the  quest  of  El 
Dorado.1  Had  there  only  been  among  these  intrepid  ex- 
plorers men  to  record  their  adventures,  as  there  were 
among  the  Spanish  Conquistadores,  as  there  were  among 
those  who  went  in  quest  of  El  Dorado,  as  there  were  even 
among  the  Buccaneers  of  the  Spanish  Main,  we  should 
now  have  accounts  of  achievements  that  would  match  those 
of  Padre  Carbajal,  the  historian  of  Orellana’s  discovery  of 
the  Amazon,  or  of  Padre  Medrano,  the  recorder  of  the 
wonderful  expedition  of  Gonsalo  Ximenes  de  Quesada  in 

1 For  a graphic  account  of  these  famous  expeditions,  the  reader  is  referred 
to  the  “Historia  del  Nuevo  Reino  de  Granada,”  by  the  poet  priest,  Juan  de 
Castellanos,  Madrid,  1886,  and  to  the  ‘ ‘ Notieias  Historiales  de  las  Conquistas 
de  Tierra  Firme  en  las  Indias  Oceidentales,  ’ ’ by  the  old  Franciscan  chronicler, 
Fray  Pedro  Simon,  Bogota,  1882.  Their  pages  have  all  the  fascination  of  a 


romance. 


96 


AMONG  THE  PROGRESSIVE  PAULISTAS 


search  of  the  ever  fleeting  Dorado.  We  should  have  am- 
ple accounts  of  regions  in  the  great  selva  of  Brazil  that 
are  still  terra  incognita.  We  should  be  informed  about  re- 
gions and  Indian  tribes  that  were  almost  unknown  until 
recently  visited  by  daring  explorers  from  Germany.  And 
— who  knows? — there  might  have  been  a graphic  descrip- 
tion of  a voyage  down  what  is  now  known  as  the  Rio  Teo- 
doro,  written  three  centuries  before  the  Roosevelt  Expe- 
dition put  it  on  the  map. 

But  the  Mamelucos  were  not  only  gold-seekers  and  ex- 
plorers. They  were,  also,  sad  to  relate,  slave  dealers. 
With  them  gold  hunting  and  slave  hunting  went  hand  in 
hand.  For  this  reason  the  Mameluco  bandeirantes  would 
naturally  not  desire  to  have  such  historiographers  with 
them  as  were  the  Dominican  Carbajal,  the  Franciscan  Me- 
drano, or  the  Jesuit  Acuna,  because  the  members  of  these 
religious  orders  were  the  protectors  of  the  Indians,  and 
their  stanch  defenders  against  their  Mameluke  captors  and 
oppressors.  They  would  not  care  even  to  have  one  of 
their  own  number  chronicle  their  atrocious  acts  of  inhu- 
manity, as  Exquemeling  had  done  for  the  Buccaneers. 

For  ourselves  it  is  probably  as  well  that  we  are  spared 
a recital  of  the  horrors  that  attended  these  ruthless  slave- 
hunting expeditions.  We  know  too  much  about  them,  as 
it  is.  We  know  that  they  were  signalized  by  greater  acts 
of  cruelty  and  barbarity  towards  the  helpless  Indians  than 
any  recorded  in  the  annals  of  Portuguese  colonization  and 
conquest.  There  are  many  dark  pages  in  the  history  of 
South  America,  but  the  darkest  of  them  are  those  that 
deal  with  the  marauding  Mamelukes  and  their  attacks  on 
the  hapless  Indians  of  the  sertao,  and  tell  of  their  fiendish 
raids  on  the  happy,  confiding  Indians  of  the  missions  and 
reductions.  We  are  grateful  that  we  have  not  these  unwrit- 
ten chapters  of  horrors  and  that  the  native  traditions  of 
those  days  of  crime  and  carnage  are  gradually  passing 
into  oblivion. 


97 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


The  fact  that  the  Paulistas  were  a mestizo  race  explains 
their  love  of  adventure,  as  it,  likewise,  explains  their  fierce- 
ness and  cruelty  during  the  period  to  which  I now  refer. 
It  was  the  call  of  the  blood.  The  Indian  in  them  impelled 
them  to  roam  over  plain  and  through  forest  and  across 
lofty  mountain  ranges,  to  attack  and  enslave  inoffensive 
tribes  as  their  savage  ancestors  had  done  from  time  imme- 
morial. The  Portuguese  part  of  their  nature  was  domi- 
nated by  the  greed  of  gold.  Love  of  adventure  and  love 
of  gold  combined  with  the  strong,  daring  character  of  the 
Indian  and  the  keen,  alert  character  of  the  Portuguese 
produced  what  we  know  as  the  Paulistas  in  history — a 
strenuous,  energetic,  fearless,  progressive  race — a race 
which  combines  all  the  physical  prepotency  of  the  Indian, 
developed  through  long  years  of  struggle  with  neighbor- 
ing tribes,  and  all  the  mental  prepotency  of  the  Portuguese 
who  had  given  to  the  world  a Camoens,  a Vasco  da  Gama, 
a Magellan,  a Henry  the  Navigator.  In  their  case,  as  in 
the  case  of  the  commingling  of  the  blood  of  the  Spaniard 
with  the  Aztec,  or  the  Quicliua,  or  the  Araucanian,  the 
union  of  the  Indian  and  the  European  produced  a type  of 
men  who  were  capable  of  achieving  great  things  and  of 
being  leaders  among  their  fellows  in  every  sphere  of  hu- 
man activity. 

This  same  fact — the  union  of  two  strong  and  energetic 
races — explains  their  preeminence  in  commerce,  industry, 
statecraft.  As  conditions  changed  and  the  country  be- 
came more  thickly  populated,  the  energy  that  had  been 
previously  expended  in  gold-hunting  and  slave-hunting  was 
directed  into  other  channels,  and  they  soon  became  as  con- 
spicuous in  the  arts  of  civilized  life  as  they  had  for- 
merly been  as  ruthless  marauders  and  dare-devil  adven- 
turers. 

Far  from  desiring  to  conceal  his  Indian  strain,  the  Paul- 
ista  is  proud  of  it — as  proud  as  the  Virginian  who  can 
claim  relationship  with  Pocahontas,  or  as  the  Peruvian 

98 


AMONG  THE  PROGRESSIVE  PAULISTAS 


who  can  point  to  an  ancestor  who  belonged  to  the  royal  fam- 
ily of  the  Incas. 

Everywhere  in  Sao  Paulo — in  the  interior  of  the  state 
as  well  as  in  the  capital — one  finds  indisputable  evidence 
of  the  energy,  the  enterprise,  the  clearness  of  vision  of 
the  Paulistas.  But  probably  these  characteristics  are  in 
nothing  more  strikingly  evinced  than  in  the  manner  in 
which  they  have  made  themselves  the  great  coffee  pro- 
ducers of  the  world.  The  celebrated  terra  roxa — red  earth 
— in  which  the  coffee  tree  grows  so  luxuriantly,  is  found 
in  many  other  parts  of  Brazil  from  Ceara  to  Matto  Grosso, 
but  the  Paulistas  were  the  first  to  demonstrate  its  wonder- 
ful adaptability  for  coffee-culture  and  to  make  coffee  plan- 
tations their  most  important  asset. 

The  history  of  what  Linnaeus  named  Coffea  Arabica, 
in  its  long  migrations  frcm  the  wild  forests  of  Abyssinia 
and  Mozambique  to  the  carefully  cultivated  fazendas  of  Sao 
Paulo,  is  a most  interesting  one  and  reads  more  like 
fiction  than  sober  history.  It  is  a far  cry  from  its  first  re- 
stricted use  as  a drug  in  the  East  to  its  present  status  as 
one  of  the  world’s  most  popular  beverages;  from  the  time 
when  its  production  in  the  West  was  prohibited,  and  gave 
rise  to  as  absurd  conflicts  as  attended  the  introduction 
of  tobacco  into  Europe,  to  the  day  when  its  culture  consti- 
tutes the  chief  industry  and  the  greatest  source  of  revenue 
of  a great  nation. 

It  is  scarcely  eighty  years  since  the  production  of  coffee 
in  the  state  of  Sao  Paulo  received  its  first  impetus.  Before 
that  time  it  was  rarely  found  outside  of  a drug  store.  But 
after  that,  the  development  of  the  industry  was  so  rapid 
and  so  extraordinary  in  its  proportions  that  it  stands  forth 
as  one  of  the  marvels  of  economic  history.  In  1851,  the 
amount  of  coffee  exported  from  Sao  Paulo  was  something 
more  than  a hundred  thousand  sacks  of  one  hundred  and 
thirty-two  pounds  each.  Thenceforth,  the  export  of  this 
staple  increased  with  amazing  rapidity  until,  in  1896-97,  the 

99 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


amount  produced  reached  the  stupendous  figure  of  more 
than  fifteen  million  sacks.  This,  with  what  was  collected 
in  other  parts  of  the  republic,  gave  Brazil  eighty-five  per 
cent  of  the  world’s  total  production  of  this  valuable  com- 
modity. That  year  the  state  of  Sao  Paulo  produced  fully 
three  times  as  much  coffee  as  all  the  other  states  of  Brazil 
combined. 

But  this  enormous  crop  was  more  than  the  market  could 
bear.  The  supply  had  gone  beyond  the  demand.  The 
price  of  coffee  fell  until  it  threatened  coffee-growers  and 
the  state  itself  with  financial  disaster.  But  the  shrewd 
Paulistas  were  equal  to  the  emergency.  For  it  was  then, 
in  order  to  support  the  market  and  to  protect  the  coffee 
industry,  in  which  countless  millions  were  invested,  that 
they  had  recourse  to  that  much  criticised  measure  known 
as  coffee  valorization.  The  operation  seemed  like  a 
gambler’s  risk,  but  there  was  so  much  at  stake,  and  this 
seemed  the  only  method  of  securing  relief,  that  the  gov- 
ernment of  Sao  Paulo  did  not  hesitate  to  act.  This  meas- 
ure, which  achieved  the  end  in  view,  was  only  another  illus- 
tration of  that  quick  initiative  and  sturdiness  of  character 
which  has  always  so  distinguished  the  Paulistas  from  the 
rest  of  their  countrymen  and  which  has  tided  them  over 
difficulties  which  would  have  overwhelmed  men  of  less  de- 
termination and  self-confidence.1 

1 The  reader  will  be  interested  to  learn  that  the  Coffee  King  of  Brazil  is 
a German  immigrant,  named  Francisco  Schmidt.  The  annual  coffee  crop  raised 
on  his  extensive  fazendas  is  from  two  hundred  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  thou- 
sand sacks.  He  reminds  one,  in  many  ways,  of  his  distinguished  compatriot, 
the  late  Claus  Spreckels,  who  was  known  as  the  Sugar  King  of  the  Hawaiian 
Islands.  Like  Mr.  Spreckels,  Mr.  Schmidt  is  a self-made  man,  and  like  him 
he  is  the  possessor  of  exceptional  business  acumen  and  initiative. 

Claus  Spreckels,  I may  here  be  permitted  to  add,  once  told  me  in  Honolulu, 
that  on  his  arrival  in  San  Francisco  he  had  but  sixty-nine  cents  in  his  pocket — 
all  that  he  possessed.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  he  ranked  among  the  most 
prominent  multi-millionaires  of  the  United  States.  He  told  me,  also,  how 
Bismarck  had  urged  him  to  use  his  great  influence  to  have  the  Hawaiian  Islands 
become  a German  possession.  “But  I said,  No!”  the  sturdy  Sugar  King  de- 
clared in  his  characteristic  manner.  ‘ ‘ I love  the  Fatherland,  but  my  first  duty 

100 


AMONG  THE  PROGRESSIVE  PAULISTAS 


The  Paulistas  exhibited,  as  we  have  seen,  exceptional 
business  acumen  in  their  marvelous  development  of  the 
coffee  culture,  but,  when  they  had  discovered  that  the  sup- 
ply of  coffee  was  exceeding  the  demand,  they  showed  the 
same  quick  decision,  the  same  practical  sense,  by  directing 
their  surplus  energy  into  other  business  channels.  They 
began  to  cultivate  rice,  cotton,  tobacco,  and  plant  such 
rubber-producing  trees  as  manicoba  and  mangabeira.  They 
established  new  industries  and  devoted  more  attention  to 
manufacture.  They  opened  up  new  centers  of  colonization 
in  every  part  of  the  state  and  connected  them  by  railroads 
with  the  great  markets  of  the  republic. 

But  probably  in  nothing  have  their  capacity  and  re- 
sourcefulness been  more  clearly  demonstrated  than  in  their 
wonderful  transformation  of  Santos,  the  famous  port  of 
Sao  Paulo.  For  more  than  a half-century,  it  was  the 
most  dreaded  pesthole  in  South  America,  if  not  in  the 
world.  Yellow  fever  and  other  tropical  diseases  were  en- 
demic, and  its  annual  death  toll  was  frightful.  It  seemed 
impossible  to  do  anything  that  would  stem  the  awful  rav- 
ages of  the  plague.  But  the  Paulistas  succeeded  here  as 
their  compatriots  succeeded  in  Rio  de  Janeiro.  Yellow 
fever  in  Santos  is  something  of  the  past  and  the  best  indi- 
cation of  the  city’s  progress  and  of  the  salubrity  of  its  cli- 
mate, is  its  wonderful  docks,  rivaling  those  of  Rio  de  Ja- 
neiro, and  the  fact  that  the  Ritz-Carlton  people  have  es- 
tablished here,  as  in  Sao  Paulo,  one  of  their  world-famous 
hotels. 

Like  most  of  their  countrymen,  the  Paulistas  are  more 
or  less  chauvinists,  but  they  do  not  permit  their  patriotic 
ardor  to  blind  them  to  the  merits  of  people  of  other  na- 
tionalities. This  is  evinced  by  their  placing  foreign  spe- 
cialists at  the  head  of  their  scientific  and  technical  insti- 

is  to  the  country  of  my  adoption.  If  Hawaii  ever  loses  its  independence,  it 
must  belong  to  the  United  States.”  A few  years  subsequent  his  prediction 
was  verified. 


101 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


tutions,  and  by  employing  foreign  professors  for  their 
higher  institutions  of  learning.  This  policy  is  quite  differ- 
ent from  that  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  where  politics  and  public 
opinion  and  a little  vanity,  too,  are  quite  averse  to  the  ap- 
pointment of  foreigners  to  positions  of  trust  and  emolu- 
ment, save  in  very  exceptional  cases.  But  it  is  just  this 
ability  and  willingness  to  suppress  all  feelings  of  self-love, 
when  the  general  good  requires  it,  that  is  another  indica- 
tion of  the  strong  character  and  hard  common  sense  of 
the  Paulistas  in  public,  as  well  as  in  private  life.  And 
it  is  this  accepted  policy  of  securing  the  cooperation  of  ex- 
perts, irrespective  of  nationality,  that  has  contributed  so 
materially  to  the  development  of  agriculture  and  industry 
in  Sao  Paulo,  that  explains  its  wonderful  progress  and 
prosperity  and  that  has,  in  no  small  measure,  given  to  the 
whole  of  Brazil  the  prestige  and  the  prominence  she  now 
enjoys  in  the  great  family  of  civilized  nations. 


CHAPTER  VI 


IN  SEMI-TROPICAL  BRAZIL 

When  Colonel  Roosevelt  and  I decided  to  go  together 
to  South  America  we  agreed  that  we  should,  as  far  as  pos- 
sible, shun  the  beaten  track  usually  followed  by  tourists 
and  commercial  travelers.  We  were  both  familiar  with  the 
large  cities  of  the  Old  and  the  New  World,  and  did  not, 
therefore,  desire  to  spend  much  time  in  the  capitals  and 
mercantile  centers  of  the  Southern  Continent  where  social 
and  business  conditions  are  essentially  the  same  as  they  are 
in  Europe  and  in  the  United  States.  We  wished  to  see 
something  new — something  we  could  not  see  in  our  own 
land.  We  wished,  specially,  to  visit  sections  of  the  country 
which  were  just  being  opened  to  settlement  and  which  were, 
for  the  first  time,  being  connected  by  rail  with  the  great 
marts  of  commerce.  We  wished,  in  a word,  to  study,  as 
far  as  might  be,  the  pioneer  life  of  the  various  countries 
which  we  contemplated  traversing. 

We  had  already  decided  on  our  route  through  the  in- 
terior of  the  continent,  after  we  should  once  have  reached 
the  Upper  Paraguay.  But  an  almost  equally  important 
matter  was  to  decide  what  should  be  our  line  of  travel 
before  definitely  entering  the  great  wilderness  of  Brazil. 

I suggested  making  out  an  itinerary  before  leaving 
New  York.  “Bully,”  said  Colonel  Roosevelt.  “You  make 
out  an  itinerary  and  we  shall  afterward  look  it  over  to- 
gether.” 

I accordingly  made  out  a plan  of  a tour  which  I con- 
ceived would  meet  the  ends  we  both  had  in  view.  Colonel 
Roosevelt  was  delighted  with  it.  “This  is  admirable!”  he 

103 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


exclaimed.  “I  do  not  think  we  can  improve  on  it.  Un- 
less something  unforeseen  occurs,  we  shall  follow  this  itin- 
erary to  the  letter.” 

And  we  did  follow  it  to  the  letter,  with  one  slight  ex- 
ception— an  exception  we  were  obliged  to  make  through 
lack  of  time.  And  so  satisfactory  was  it,  in  every  way,  to 
both  of  us  that  neither  of  us  at  any  time  would  have  wished 
it  to  have  been  different.  It  enabled  us  to  secure  precisely 
the  information  we  were  in  quest  of  and,  at  the  same  time, 
it  afforded  us  an  opportunity  of  seeing  some  of  the  most 
magnificent  exhibitions  of  scenic  beauty  and  grandeur  to 
be  found  in  South  America. 

The  usual  route  from  Rio  de  Janeiro  to  Montevideo  is 
by  sea.  We  elected  to  go  overland  by  rail,  as  we  were  eager 
to  get  a view  of  the  splendid  grazing  and  agricultural  lands 
between  Sao  Paulo  and  Uruguay.  For  years  before  our 
visit,  certain  sections  of  the  railroad  between  these  two 
points  had  been  in  operation,  but  the  line  as  a whole — 
now  known  as  the  Brazil  Railroad — was  not  opened  for 
traffic  until  the  latter  part  of  1910.  Even  then  it  was  far 
from  complete,  for  trains  were  running  over  temporary 
bridges  and  roadbeds  that  were  far  from  safe.  Regular 
through  passenger  traffic  was  not  seriously  inaugurated  un- 
til a few  months  before  our  arrival  in  Brazil.  Indeed,  so 
recent  had  been  the  formal  opening  of  the  line,  and  so  little 
was  known  about  it,  that  when  I told  certain  Brazilian 
officials  and  business  men  in  New  York  of  our  intention 
of  going  from  Rio  de  Janeiro  to  Montevideo  by  rail,  they 
told  me  at  once  it  could  not  be  done.  “The  road  is  not 
yet  open,”  they  said,  “and  we  have  no  idea  when  it  will 
be.”  Truth  to  tell,  only  two  special  trains  had  passed 
over  this  long  stretch  of  road  before  we  started  on  our 
long  journey  from  the  capital  of  Brazil  to  the  capital  of 
Uruguay. 

Even  in  Rio  de  Janeiro  so  little  was  known  about  the 
condition  of  the  road,  or  of  the  country  it  traverses,  that 

104 


IN  SEMI-TROPICAL  BRAZIL 


we  were  strongly  urged  by  our  friends  against  making  the 
journey  by  rail,  because  of  the  dust  and  intense  heat  which, 
they  said,  we  were  sure  to  encounter.  Naturally,  not  hav- 
ing traveled  over  the  road,  they  could  not  be  expected  to 
know  much  about  it.  And,  then,  when  one  bears  in  mind 
that  the  distance  by  rail  from  Rio  de  Janeiro  to  Monte- 
video is  as  far  as  it  is  from  Portland,  Maine,  to  San  An- 
tonio, Texas,  we  can  readily  understand  why  but  very 
few  people  should  have  had  accurate  information  regard- 
ing the  country  through  which  the  road  passes.  As  a mat- 
ter of  fact,  the  great  mass  of  the  people  of  Rio  de  Janeiro 
knew  little  more  about  the  country  and  climate  of  Southern 
Brazil  at  the  time  of  our  visit  than  they  then  knew  of  the 
now  famous  River  of  Doubt.  But  this  was  not  necessarily 
an  evidence  of  the  ignorance  of  the  Fluminenses  respecting 
their  country,  but  rather  an  indication  of  the  immense  ex- 
tent of  territory  comprised  within  the  borders  of  Brazil. 

Thanks  to  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Farquhar,  President  of 
the  Brazil  Railway,  a special  train  was  placed  at  our  dis- 
posal, and  we  were  able  to  make  the  long  journey  to  Monte- 
video with  every  convenience  and  comfort.  It  enabled  us 
to  stop  wherever  we  wished  and  as  long  as  we  wished.  Be- 
sides this  we  were  accompanied  by  Mr.  Hugh  Taylor,  the 
general  manager  of  the  road,  and  a number  of  other  promi- 
nent officials  who  left  nothing  undone  to  make  the  journey 
as  pleasant  and  profitable  for  us  as  possible. 

The  main  line  of  the  Brazilian  Railway  running  south 
of  Sao  Paulo  passes  over  the  elevated  plateau  which  is 
bounded  by  a mountain  range  on  the  east  and  by  the  great 
waterways  of  the  Parana  and  the  Uruguay  on  the  west. 
The  altitude  of  this  extensive  table-land  is  from  six  hun- 
dred to  four  thousand  feet  above  sea  level.  Owing  to  its 
elevation  and  to  its  being  south  of  the  tropic  of  Capricorn, 
this  part  of  Brazil — consisting  of  the  states  of  Parana, 
Santa  Catharina  and  Rio  Grande  do  Sul — has  the  most  de- 
lightful climate  in  the  entire  republic.  It  is  well  watered 

105 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


by  numerous  rivers  and  streams,  and  the  soil  is  well 
adapted  to  both  grazing  and  agriculture.  The  road  al- 
ternately passes  through  prairie  lands, — campos — on  which 
there  are  large  flocks  and  herds — and  extensive  forests 
which  are  destined,  in  supplying  the  world  with  timber,  to 
replace,  in  a measure,  the  rapidly  disappearing  woodlands 
of  Europe  and  North  America.  Already  there  are  many 
large  sawmills  along  the  railroad,  and  the  amount  of  build- 
ing material  shipped  from  them  is  daily  increasing.  Cedar, 
pine  and  various  hard  woods  abound,  but  the  tree  that  is 
most  conspicuous,  and  always  attracts  the  special  attention 
of  the  tourist,  is  a species  of  pine  called  by  botanists 
Araucaria  Brasiliensis.  Its  trunk  is  from  seventy -five  to 
one  hundred  feet  high  and  is  surmounted  by  branches  at 
right  angles  to  it.  Seen  from  a distance,  it  resembles  an 
open  Chinese  umbrella,  and  gives  to  the  landscape  a cachet 
that  is  as  original  as  it  is  distinctive.  I never  saw  one  of 
these  peculiar  representatives  of  the  subtropical  forest 
without  recalling  Hugh  Miller’s  eloquent  periods  regarding 
their  superb  congeners  of  the  paleontologic  past. 

The  climate  of  the  plateau  in  Parana,  Santa  Catharina 
and  Rio  Grande  do  Sul  is,  for  the  most  part,  subtropical. 
As  in  the  tropics,  the  foliage  of  the  trees  is  always  green, 
and  fruits  and  flowers  abound  throughout  the  year.  It 
produces  all  the  cereals  and  fruits  of  temperate  zones  and 
many  of  those  of  the  tropics  as  well.  Here  one  will  find 
maize,  wheat,  rye,  potatoes,  and  nearly  all  the  vegetables 
grown  in  our  own  northern  gardens.  In  the  lowlands  along 
the  coast,  rice,  coffee,  bananas,  oranges,  pineapples  and 
similar  products  specially  thrive.  Grapes  are  cultivated  in 
many  places  and  a good  quality  of  native  wine  is  being 
gradually  introduced,  especially  by  the  German  and  Italian 
colonists.  In  the  plateau  the  climate  is  not  unlike  that  of 
our  cotton  states,  but  the  average  annual  temperature  is 
higher.  During  the  winter  months,  the  thermometer  often 
falls  below  freezing-point  at  night,  but,  during  the  daytime, 

106 


IN  SEMI-TROPICAL  BRAZIL 


the  climate  is  unusually  mild  and  pleasant.  A striking  proof 
of  the  uniform  mildness  of  the  climate  is  the  prevalence, 
throughout  the  plateau,  of  beautiful  tree-ferns  from  ten  to 
fifteen  feet  high.  Their  exquisite  frondage  was  always  a 
source  of  delight  to  all  of  us,  and,  along  the  rivers  near 
which  the  train  passed,  they  exhibited  the  most  wonderful 
delicacy  and  luxuriance.  I shall  never  forget  the  many 
charming  pictures  that  we  saw  of  lovely  little  waterfalls 
surrounded  by  a group  of  the  most  perfectly  formed  tree- 
ferns,  large  and  small.  The  picture  of  the  musical,  multi- 
colored cascade  was  of  itself  a thing  of  beauty,  but,  when 
seen  with  its  marvelous  setting  of  rich,  lace-like  fronds, 
it  was  something  unique  and  beauteous  beyond  compare — 
just  such  a retreat  as  an  old  Greek  would  have  selected  for 
Diana  and  her  nymphs  after  the  labors  of  the  chase. 

We  were  all  much  interested  in  the  new  colonies  which 
were  springing  up  everywhere  along  the  line.  Before  the 
advent  of  the  railroad,  the  number  of  inhabitants  was  very 
small  and  very  scattered.  They  raised  barely  enough  for 
their  own  use,  for,  owing  to  the  lack  of  communications, 
it  was  almost  impossible  to  get  their  produce  to  the  mar- 
kets. Even  if  they  were  able  to  do  so,  the  expense  at- 
tending it  was  so  great  that  they  had  nothing  in  the  end 
to  show  for  their  time  and  labor.  Now,  however,  condi- 
tions have  entirely  changed.  For,  thanks  to  the  encourage- 
ment given  to  colonists  by  the  railway  company,  as  well  as 
by  the  government,  in  securing  homesteads,  the  population 
has  greatly  increased  within  the  last  few  years. 

Most  of  the  immigrants  are  from  Germany,  Italy,  Po- 
land, Russia,  Spain  and  Portugal.  There  are  also  repre- 
sentatives from  France,  Switzerland  and  Asia  Minor.  Dur- 
ing a period  of  seven  years,  the  number  of  immigrants, 
from  these  countries,  who  sought  homes  in  the  state  of 
Parana  was  no  less  than  fifty-one  thousand,  most  of  whom 
were  Poles.  In  the  state  of  Santa  Catharina,  European 
immigrants  and  their  descendants  constitute  more  than  a 

107 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


third  of  the  entire  population.  African  half-breeds  are  in 
a very  small  minority,  amounting  to  not  more  than  ten  per 
cent,  at  most. 

In  Curityba,  the  capital  of  Parana,  the  greater  number 
of  the  business  houses  belongs  to  Germans,  or  to  their  de- 
scendants. The  flourishing  city  of  Blumenau,  in  Santa 
Catharina,  was  founded  by  a German,  Dr.  Hermann  Blu- 
menau, and  the  great  majority  of  its  population  is  Ger- 
man born,  or  of  German  descent.  The  aspect  of  the  city  is 
German  and  the  municipality  has,  since  its  foundation, 
been  dominated  by  Germans.  In  many  parts  of  the  three 
states  of  which  I am  now  speaking,  the  language  of  the 
schools  is  German,  and,  in  some  instances,  Brazilian  em- 
ployees in  German  houses  must  learn  German  in  order  to 
retain  their  position. 

This  cosmopolitan  character  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Parana,  Santa  Catharina  and  Rio  Grande  do  Sul  indi- 
cates most  clearly  what  is  to  be  the  ethnic  character  of 
the  Brazilian  of  the  future  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
republic.  He  will  belong  wholly  to  the  Caucasian  race, 
will  have  regular  features,  a white  complexion,  light  rather 
than  dark  hair,  and  will  exhibit  a composite  German  and 
Polish,  rather  than  a Latin  type. 

Slavery  never  was  so  developed  here  as  in  the  northern 
part  of  Brazil,  and  hence  the  little  Negro  blood  that  at 
one  time  flowed  through  the  veins  of  some  of  the  inhabitants 
may  now  be  regarded  as  quite  a negligible  quantity.  The 
same  may  be  said  of  the  Indian  strain  that  once  existed 
in  some  of  the  European  population  of  this  part  of  the  re- 
public. It  has  all  but  disappeared.  Southern  Brazil,  then, 
unlike  much  of  the  northern  section,  where  the  blacks  are 
so  numerous,  is  a white  man’s  country — as  much  so  as  any 
part  of  Europe  or  the  United  States — and  is  likely  to  re- 
main so  indefinitely. 

In  marked  contrast  with  the  State  of  Sao  Paulo,  with 
its  aristocratic  fazendeiros  whose  large  estates  insure  them 

108 


IN  SEMI-TROPICAL  BRAZIL 


princely  revenues,  Parana,  Santa  Catliarina  and  Rio 
Grande  do  Sul  constitute  a commonwealth  of  small  landed 
proprietors.  Here,  where  manufacturers  are  still  in  an 
inchoate  condition,  most  of  the  available  capital  is  in  the 
soil  itself,  and  this  is  the  possession  of  those  whose  labor 
makes  it  productive. 

We  visited  the  homes  of  many  of  the  immigrants — 
Germans,  Poles,  Italians  and  others — in  the  various  colo- 
nies at  which  we  stopped  and  found  them  to  be,  as  a rule, 
quite  as  comfortable  and  commodious  as  were  the  homes 
of  our  western  pioneers  a few  generations  ago.  What 
particularly  impressed  us  was  the  air  of  cleanliness  in  and 
about  the  homes  of  the  Germans  and  Poles.  Kitchens, 
bedrooms,  living-rooms,  all  evidenced  the  scrupulous  care 
of  the  German  hausfrau.  And  the  children  were  as  well 
looked  after  as  the  house.  They  were  well  clad,  healthy, 
and  seemed  as  happy  as  the  day  was  long.  It  was  always 
a genuine  pleasure  to  watch  the  little,  fair-haired  Poles, 
the  bright,  dark-eyed  Italians,  and  the  chubby  rosy-cheeked 
Germans  playing  about  the  house  and  assisting  their  par- 
ents in  such  work  as  their  tiny  hands  were  able  to  do.  They 
all  had  in  them  the  making  of  good  citizens,  such  as  their 
fathers  are  today,  and  will,  no  doubt,  when  grown  up,  do 
their  full  share  towards  developing  the  wonderful  resources 
of  this  favored  part  of  Brazil. 

The  railway  officials  who  accompanied  us  told  us  that 
the  immigrants,  with  very  few  exceptions,  were  doing  well 
and  were  quite  contented  in  the  country  of  their  adoption. 
As  in  the  case  of  all  pioneers,  their  labor  is  severe  in  the 
beginning,  and  their  hardships  are  trying  and  frequent. 
But  they  are  prepared  for  this  and  meet  them  with  a cour- 
age and  a determination  that  know  not  failure.  All  told, 
their  lot  is,  in  most  instances,  much  happier  than  it  was  in 
the  overpopulated  lands  which  they  left  in  Europe,  and 
their  prospects  are  much  brighter.  The  houses  and  fields 
of  the  latest  arrivals  reminded  me  very  much  of  those  I 

109 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


saw  in  Ohio  and  Indiana  half  a century  ago,  while  the 
homes  of  those  who  have  had  time  to  show  the  results  of 
their  labor  and  tliriftiness  recall  the  neat  and  snug  cot- 
tages of  the  Black  Forest  or  Upper  Franconia. 

All  of  our  party  was  greatly  interested  in  the  immense 
ranch  of  the  Brazil  Land,  Cattle  and  Packing  Company 
at  Morungava.  It  is  under  the  management  of  Mr.  Murdo 
Mackenzie,  a well-known  cattle  man  from  the  United  States, 
who  is  ably  assisted  in  this  work  by  a large  staff  of  ex- 
perienced ranchmen  from  Texas  and  Colorado.  Although 
this  enterprise  is  still  in  its  infancy,  it  is  already  begin- 
ning to  show  splendid  results.  Everything  is  conducted 
on  scientific  principles,  and  our  best  western  methods  of 
grazing  and  breeding  are  put  in  practice. 

One  of  the  first  moves  of  the  company  was  to  import 
from  the  United  States  nine  hundred  head  of  Hereford 
and  Shorthorn  cattle.  These  are  crossed  with  the  native 
stock  and  already  the  herds  are  showing  a marked  improve- 
ment in  character.  In  a few  years,  it  is  confidently  hoped, 
the  cattle  of  this  ranch  will  be  of  as  fine  a quality  as  the 
best  of  those  in  Texas  and  Montana. 

Horses,  mules,  sheep,  goats  and  hogs  thrive  equally 
well  here.  And  crossing  the  best  imported  varieties  with 
native  stock  has  already  led  to  a remarkable  development 
in  the  breed  of  these  various  animals.  It  not  only  has 
greatly  increased  their  market  value,  but  also  has  con- 
tributed materially  to  popularize  scientific  stock-raising 
among  the  natives.  For,  where  the  cattle  growers,  as  in 
Rio  Grande  do  Sul,  for  instance,  were  formerly  quite  satis- 
fied with  the  unimproved  and  half-wild  stock  that  roamed 
the  plains,  they  have  now  learned  the  advantage  of  breed- 
ing upward,  as  is  being  so  successfully  done  in  the  ranch 
at  Morungava.  Their  ambition  to  become  the  possessors 
of  blooded  stock  has  also  been  stimulated  in  a way  that 
did  not  seem  possible  a few  years  ago.  Then  the  cattle- 
men of  Rio  Grande  do  Sul  were  contented  to  follow  in  the 

110 


IN  SEMI-TROPICAL  BRAZIL 


footsteps  of  their  fathers,  and  were  satisfied  if  they  could 
gain  a passable  livelihood.  “Why,”  they  were  wont  to  say, 
“should  we  bother  with  blooded  stock,  which  would  neces- 
sitate extra  care  and  labor,  when  we  can  obtain  all  the 
money  we  need  with  the  kind  of  animals  we  now  have1?” 

Fortunately  for  the  country,  these  ignorant  and  routine 
herdsmen  of  the  old  school  are  rapidly  disappearing  be- 
fore younger  and  more  progressive  stock-breeders  who  are 
everywhere  striving  to  benefit  by  the  teachings  of  Ameri- 
can and  Argentine  cattlemen  and  to  emulate  their  exam- 
ple. They  have  learned  that  an  animal  of  improved  breed 
weighs  twice  as  much  as  one  of  the  old  degenerate  type, 
and  that  there  is  a greater  demand  for  it  in  both  the  lo- 
cal and  foreign  markets.  For  this  reason  one  now  sees,  on 
many  of  the  ranches  in  Southern  Brazil,  splendid  speci- 
mens of  Durhams,  Herefords,  and  other  similar  prized 
breeds;  and,  judging  from  present  indications,  the  day  is 
not  far  distant  when  the  cattle  of  Rio  Grande  do  Sul  will 
become  as  important  a commodity  as  those  of  Argentina 
and  Uruguay. 

One  of  the  most  valuable  products  of  Parana,  Santa 
Catharina  and  Rio  Grande  do  Sul,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
one  of  their  most  precious  items  of  export,  is  something 
which  has,  until  very  recently,  been  practically  unknown 
outside  of  South  America.  This  is  mate  or  Paraguayan 
tea.  The  word  mate  signifies  not  only  the  beverage  itself, 
but,  strangely  enough,  it  also  designates  the  leaves  from 
which  it  is  prepared,  the  tree  from  which  they  are  taken 
and  the  gourd  or  calabash  in  which  the  infusion  is  pre- 
pared. 

The  mate  tree  is  a species  of  holly,  and  is  known  among 
botanists  as  Ilex  Paraguay ensis.  The  tree  is  ordinarily 
from  fifteen  to  thirty  feet  high  and  has  glossy,  green  leaves 
like  those  of  the  orange.  Its  habitat  embraces  the  states 
of  Parana,  Santa  Catharina,  Rio  Grande  do  Sul,  and  parts 
of  Argentina  and  Paraguay.  As  a source  of  revenue  it  is 

111 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


for  Parana  what  coffee  is  to  Sao  Paulo,  and  what  rubber 
is  to  Para  and  Amazonas.  But,  although  it  is  the  fa- 
vorite beverage  of  fifteen  million  people  in  South  Amer- 
ica, it  was,  until  a few  years  ago,  rarely  seen  in  Eu- 
rope and  the  United  States,  outside  of  an  occasional  phar- 
macy. 

Like  the  coca  among  the  Bolivians  and  Peruvians,  mate 
was  among  the  Guarani  Indians  the  plant  par  excellence. 
Their  name  for  it  was  caa — plant — the  plant  that  was 
unique  among  all  other  plants.  The  Spanish  and  Portu- 
guese, even  to  this  day,  show  the  value  they  have  long  at- 
tached to  it  by  their  name  for  it.  It  is  simply  yerba  or 
herva — the  herb.  When  these  words  are  used  in  Spanish 
or  Portuguese,  everyone  knows  what  herb — we  should  say 
tree — is  meant.  For  them  there  is  only  one  yerba — the 
one  that  produces  what  they  regard  as  the  most  delicious 
of  beverages.1 

And,  as  in  the  case  of  coca,  it  was  the  Indians  who  made 
known  the  valuable  properties  of  mate  to  the  Spaniards. 
The  fact  that  the  indigenous  tribes  should  have  discovered 
the  methods  of  preparing  and  preserving  such  important 
products  as  coca,  mate  and  manioc — which  have  been  for 
them,  for  uncounted  ages,  the  staff  of  life — is  proof  posi- 
tive that  they  possessed  a higher  degree  of  intelligence 
than  has  usually  been  attributed  to  them. 

But  the  time  arrived,  alas!  when  mate  became  for  the 
poor  natives  an  occasion  of  untold  suffering.  As  the  Span- 
iards and  Portuguese  came  to  know  the  virtues  of  the 
plant,  the  demand  for  mate  became  so  great,  especially  in 
Paraguay,  that  thousands  of  encomienda  Indians  were 
pressed  into  service  to  collect  and  prepare  an  adequate  sup- 
ply. And,  while  the  actual  labor  incident  to  the  collection 
of  the  precious  commodity  was  not  so  severe,  the  condi- 
tions under  which  they  had  to  work  were  at  times  almost 

1 It  is  also  called  by  the  Portuguese  herva  mate  and  by  the  Spaniards 
yerba  mate. 


112 


IN  SEMI-TROPICAL  BRAZIL 


as  fatal  as  were  those  connected  with  the  mines  and  pearl- 
fisheries  in  other  parts  of  the  continent. 

Mate  is  said  to  have  been  introduced  into  London  nearly 
two  hundred  years  ago,  where  it  at  once  became  so  popular 
that  the  tea  merchants,  fearing  injury  to  their  trade,  re- 
solved to  have  its  sale  discontinued.  They,  accordingly, 
hired  a physician  to  declare  it  to  be  injurious  to  health 
and  physical  beauty.1  They  then  saw  to  it  that  this  report 
received  all  the  publicity  possible,  and  the  result  was  that 
mate  was  thenceforth  tabooed  throughout  England.2 

The  mate  tree  is  usually  associated  with  the  Araucarian 
pine.  Hence  it  is  that  the  largest  liervccs — groups  of  mate 
trees — are  found  in  the  extensive  forests  of  the  Araucaria 
Brasiliensis.  It  is  in  these  forests,  then,  that  the  mate 
of  commerce  is  collected  and,  to  a great  extent,  prepared 
for  the  market. 

The  collection  of  mate  is  in  the  hands  of  men  who  are 
known  in  Brazil  as  hervateiros,  who  make  a specialty  of 


1 The  historian  Dobrizhoffer,  referring  to  this  matter,  has  a sly  fling  at  the 

solicitude  of  the  English  for  health  and  beauty  in  the  following  words:  His- 

toriisne  an  fabulis  adnumeranduin  id  omne  sit,  ignoro.  Illud  certum,  ab  His- 
pannis  me  id  accepisse,  mihique  verisimillimum  videri,  perpensa  Anglorum, 
quam  de  forma  fertilitateque  suarum  habent,  religiosa  solicitudine.  ‘ ‘ Historia 
de  Abiponibus,  ” Tom.  I,  p.  121,  Vienna,  1784. 

2 “Many  things,’’  wrote  Padre  Nicholas  Techo  about  this  time,  “are 
reported  concerning  the  virtue  of  this  powder  or  herb;  for,  they  say,  if  you 
cannot  sleep,  it  will  compose  you  to  it;  if  you  are  lethargic,  it  drives  away 
sleep;  if  you  are  hungry,  it  satisfies;  if  your  meat  does  not  digest,  it  causes 
an  appetite;  it  refreshes  after  weariness,  and  drives  away  melancholy,  and 
several  diseases.  Those  who  once  use  themselves  to  it,  cannot  easily  leave  it, 
for  they  affirm  their  strength  fails  ’em  when  they  want  it,  and  can’t  live  long; 
and  so  great  slaves  are  they  to  this  slender  diet,  that  they’ll  almost  sell  them- 
selves rather  than  want  wherewithal  to  purchase  it.  The  wiser  sort,  tho  ’ mod- 
erately used  it  strengthens  and  brings  other  advantages,  will  hardly  ever  make 
use  of  it;  and  if  immoderately  used,  it  causes  drunkenness,  and  breeds  dis- 
tempers, as  too  much  wine  does;  yet  this  vice  has  not  only  overrun  Paraguay, 
but  Tucuman,  Chile  and  Peru,  and  is  near  coming  over  to  Europe,  this  herb  of 
Paraguay  being  valued  among  the  precious  commodities  of  America.  ’ ’ 
“Churchill’s  Collection  of  Voyages  and  Travels,”  Vol.  IV,  p.  648,  London, 
1732. 


113 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


this  business.  The  work  is  simple  enough,  but  it  often  en- 
tails great  exposure  in  the  forests  and,  not  infrequently, 
great  hardships. 

About  the  beginning  of  May  the  liervateiros  start  for 
the  hervces.  It  is  then  that  the  mate  leaves  mature  and  pos- 
sess, in  the  highest  degree,  those  qualities  which  render 
them  so  valuable.  Provided  with  a supply  of  rice,  salt, 
black  beans  and  dried  beef,  they  bury  themselves  in  the 
forests — which  are  often  a long  distance  from  their  homes 
- — for  months  at  a time.  Fish  and  game  will,  occasionally, 
give  some  variety  to  their  food  supply.  Their  usual  shel- 
ter is  a simple  piece  of  canvas  thrown  over  the  branch 
of  a tree.  Against  the  terrific  plague  of  insects  which  infest 
most  of  the  forests  they  have  no  protection  whatever.  It  is 
these  pests  which  are  the  cause  of  untold  suffering  day 
and  night.  No  European  could  be  induced,  at  any  price,  to 
encounter  the  hardships  that  the  native  liervateiros  face  so 
willingly.  For  they  will  cut  their  way  through  almost  im- 
penetrable jungles  in  a tropical  downpour  and  through 
clouds  of  noxious  insects  of  all  kinds  without  a murmur. 
Indeed,  the  work  of  collecting  mate  has  a certain  fascina- 
tion for  them,  in  spite  of  their  meager  fare  and  the  poor 
wages  which  they  receive. 

Arrived  at  the  liervces  the  liervateiros  climb  up  the  mate 
trees,  and,  with  their  machetes,  cut  off  all  the  small 
branches,  leaving  standing  only  the  bare  trunks  and  a few 
large,  leafless  limbs.  These  remain  untouched  for  three 
years,  when  they  are  again  dense  with  foliage  and  ready 
for  another  pruning.  The  leaves  of  the  lopped-off  branches 
are  next  carefully  dried  over  a fire,  when  they  are  pulver- 
ized in  a kind  of  mortar.  The  powdered  mate  is  then 
packed  in  leather  sacks,  and  sent,  on  the  backs  of  mules 
or  otherwise,  to  the  market,  which  is  generally  many 
leagues  distant.  Frequently,  however,  the  leaves  are  sent 
to  special  mate  mills — engenlios — where  they  are  pulver- 
ized and  prepared  for  shipment  by  being  packed  in  barrels 

114 


IN  SEMI-TROPICAL  BRAZIL 


or  boxes.  There  are  no  less  than  thirty  mate  mills  in 
Parana,  and  fully  one-half  of  them  are  in  the  capital, 
Curityba.  And  not  only  is  the  greatest  amount  of  the 
prepared  product  shipped  from  this  point,  but  also  the 
best  quality. 

Until  recently  all  the  mate  of  commerce  was  composed 
of  the  pulverized  leaf.  Now,  however,  the  extract  is  obtain- 
able mixed  with  sugar.  Thus  prepared,  it  is  ready  for 
use  at  a moment’s  notice.  It  dissolves  easily  and  a tea- 
spoonful of  it  in  either  hot  or  cold  water  gives  instantly  an 
ideal  beverage.  This  was  the  kind  we  carried  with  us  into 
the  Brazilian  jungle.  Personally,  I always  drank  it  in 
preference  to  tea  or  coffee,  and  found  it  both  more  refresh- 
ing and  stimulating.  But  I could  never  prevail  on  Colonel 
Roosevelt  to  use  it.  “I  shall  never  take  it,”  he  declared, 
“so  long  as  I can  get  tea  or  coffee  or  water.” 

This  kind  of  mate  is  put  up  in  small  tin  cans,  and  I am 
greatly  surprised  that  it  has  not  yet  been  introduced  into 
the  United  States.  I am  convinced  it  would,  as  soon  as 
known,  become  immensely  popular.  It  is  always  ready  for 
use  and  easily  served.  Besides  this  it  lias  all  the  virtues 
of  tea  and  coffee  and  none  of  their  deleterious  qualities. 
For  persons  of  weak  and  delicate  constitutions  it  is  the 
most  invigorating  beverage  imaginable  and  leaves  no  dis- 
agreeable after-effects.  For  use  in  hospitals  it  is  invalu- 
able. As  a temperance  drink  it  is  nonpareil.  It  has  pre- 
served a large  part  of  South  America  from  the  debasing 
evils  of  alcoholism,  and  I can  conceive  of  no  more  powerful 
aid  to  the  cause  of  temperance  in  our  country  than  the 
popularizing  of  a beverage  that  has  proved  so  efficacious 
among  millions  of  people  in  our  sister  continent. 

Chemists  and  physicians  who  have  made  a special  study 
of  the  effects  of  mate  on  the  human  system  are  all  loud  in 
its  praise.  They  recommend  it  both  as  a tonic  and  as  a 
stimulant,  and  declare  that  it  is  destined  to  become  a 
favorite  prescription  in  hospitals  for  the  sick  and  the  con- 

115 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


valescent.  It  is  less  of  an  excitant  than  tea  or  coffee.  Un- 
like these  two  beverages,  it  does  not  cause  insomnia,  neither 
does  it,  like  coffee,  induce  perturbations  of  the  heart.  It 
is  the  best  substitute  known  for  alcoholic  drinks  of  all  kinds 
and  is  particularly  recommended  to  those  suffering  from 
debility  or  neurasthenia. 

But  more  conclusive  as  to  its  virtues  than  the  experi- 
ments of  physicians  and  chemists  are  the  results  that  have 
attended  its  use  for  more  than  three  centuries  in  South 
America.  Where  mate  is  used  drunkenness  is  practically 
unknown.  Among  people  like  the  Gauclios  of  Brazil  and 
the  Rio  de  la  Plata  region,  wdiere  beef  is  the  chief  article  of 
food,  mate  takes,  to  a great  extent,  the  place  of  bread  and 
vegetables.  Give  an  Indian  or  a caboclo — the  native  Brazil- 
ian squatter — a handful  of  mate  and  he  will  row  or  work 
all  day  without  food.  It  seems  to  dispel  hunger  and  in- 
vigorate the  body  as  effectually  as  coca.  The  best  evidence 
of  its  value  as  a tonic  and  as  a substitute  for  solid  food 
was  furnished  during  the  terrible  war  between  Brazil  and 
Paraguay  nearly  half  a century  ago.  Then,  writes  the 
Brazilian  general,  Francisco  da  Rocha  Callado,  “I  was  wit- 
ness during  a period  of  twenty-two  days,  to  the  fact  that 
our  army  was  almost  exclusively  nourished” — presqu’  ex- 
clusivement  alimente — “by  the  mate  which  we  collected  in 
the  liervcBs,  the  lack  of  provisions  on  that  occasion  not  per- 
mitting long  halts.”  1 

Although  Brazilian  mate  is  used  from  Patagonia  to 
Venezuela,  the  greater  part  of  the  product  is  exported  to 
Uruguay  and  Argentina.  To  these  two  republics  thousands 
of  tons  are  shipped  every  year.  Until  very  recently  the 
amount  imported  by  the  United  States  was  only  nominal. 
In  the  year  1906  it  aggregated  only  three  hundred  and  thirty 
pounds.  During  this  same  year  Uruguay,  but  little  larger 
than  the  state  of  Missouri,  consumed  twenty-eight  million 
pounds,  while  Argentina  called  for  nearly  a hundred  mil- 

1 ‘ ‘ Etude  sur  le  Mate,  ’ ’ p.  25  by  Maurice  Francfort,  Curityba,  1908. 

116 


IN  SEMI-TROPICAL  BRAZIL 


lion.1  This  enormous  consumption  of  mate  in  the  last  two 
countries  named  shows  what  an  important  economic  factor 
this  commodity  is,  and  is,  at  the  same  time,  the  best  possible 
indication  of  its  popularity  as  a beverage. 

Although  the  demand  for  mate,  especially  in  South 
America,  is  constantly  increasing,  so  extensive  are  the 
hervces  in  the  great  forests  of  Southern  Brazil — especially 
Parana,  which  now  supplies  four-fifths  of  this  valuable 
product — that  the  supply  is  practically  inexhaustible. 
When  its  virtues  as  a tonic  and  a stimulant  shall  become 
better  known  in  our  own  country,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  it  will  become  as  popular  among  our  people  as  it  is 
in  the  southern  continent.  And  being  much  less  ex- 
pensive than  tea  or  coffee,  it  should  eventually  become 
the  favorite  beverage  of  the  poor  in  the  United  States, 
as  it  always  has  been  in  the  republics  south  of  the  equa- 
tor. 

The  southernmost  state  of  Brazil  is  Rio  Grande  do  Sul. 
It  disputes  with  Minas  Geraes  the  second  place,  after  Sao 
Paulo,  as  the  most  prosperous  and  progressive  state  of  the 
republic.  Its  inhabitants  call  their  state  terra  gaucha— the 
land  of  the  Gauchos.  The  name  is  appropriate,  for  the 
manners,  customs  and  character  of  its  people  are  identical 
with  those  of  the  celebrated  Gauchos  of  Uruguay  and  Ar- 
gentina. Like  the  Gauchos,  they  live  in  the  saddle,  and  are 
never  so  happy  as  when,  with  the  lasso  or  bola  in  hand, 
they  course  the  broad  campanhas  of  Rio  Grande  do  Sul  in 
pursuit  of  a wild  steer  or  a savage  bull.  Decked  out  with 
broad-brimmed  sombreros,  leather  chaparejos,  huge  rowel 
spurs,  ponchos  of  many  colors,  machetes  at  their  sides  and 
revolvers  in  their  holsters,  they  are,  when  mounted  on  their 
fiery,  well-trained  steeds,  most  picturesque  objects,  and 

'“Der  Matte  Oder  Parana-Tee,  Seine  Gewinnung  und  Verwertung,  sein 
gegenwartiger  und  Kiinftiger  Verbrauch,  ” p.  54,  by  Eduard  Heinze,  Berlin, 
1910.  See  also  “En  Argentine  de  Buenos- Aires  au  Gran  Chaco,”  p.  404,  by 
Jules  Huret,  Paris,  1912. 


117 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


seem,  when  flying  over  the  undulating  plains  of  their  native 
land,  like  lineal  descendants  of  the  centaurs  of  ancient 
Thessaly. 

The  campos  of  Rio  Grande  do  Sul  comprise  about  two- 
thirds  of  the  area  of  the  state,  and  it  is  this  part  that  sup- 
plies the  chief  article  of  export  of  the  country— -a  com- 
modity that  is  as  peculiar  and  as  unique  in  its  way  as  is 
the  mate  of  Parana. 

This  article  of  commerce  is  xarque — dried  beef — which 
is  prepared  in  immense  quantities  in  the  numerous  sala- 
deiros  or  meat-curing  factories,  where  the  beef  is  salted, 
dried  and  prepared  for  shipment.  The  xarque  usually 
appears  in  large  slices,  often  more  than  three  feet  in  length. 
The  annual  output  of  this  dried  beef  is  about  two  hundred 
million  pounds.  Its  market,  however,  is  confined  chiefly 
to  the  torrid  states  of  the  northern  part  of  the  republic, 
where  it  is  impossible  to  obtain,  or  to  preserve  fresh  beef. 
When  first  prepared,  it  is  an  agreeable  article  of  diet,  but, 
as  it  gets  old,  it  becomes  very  dry,  tougli  and  rank.  Yet, 
notwithstanding  all  these  drawbacks,  I should  prefer  it,  in 
the  tropics,  to  our  ordinary  canned  beef,  which  is  so  fre- 
quently a cause  of  ptomaine  poisoning.  Xarque,  boiled 
with  black  beans,  constitutes  what  the  natives  call  a fei- 
joada,  and  is  a favorite  dish  with  the  laboring  classes.  As 
long  as  he  can  have  his  feijoada  and  mandioca,  with  the 
various  tropical  fruits  which  are  always  to  be  had  in  -abun- 
dance, the  caboclo  thinks  he  is  living  well  and  is  ready  for 
the  severest  labor  in  field  or  forest. 

Everything  in  terra  gauclia  interested  me — its  splendid 
grazing  lands,  which  are  much  like  the  rolling  prairies  of 
Texas  or  Montana,  as  well  as  its  dashing  and  romantic 
vaqueros  who,  from  the  earliest  colonial  times,  have  been 
renowned  for  their  deeds  of  prowess,  in  peace  as  well  as 
in  war.  But  I was,  in  some  respects,  more  interested  in  its 
attractive  and  progressive  capital — Porto  Alegre.  This 
important  entrepot  counts  more  than  a hundred  thousand 

118 


Drying  Mate  and  Preparing  it  for  Shipment. 


Porto  Alegre. 


IN  SEMI-TROPICAL  BRAZIL 


inhabitants,  and  is,  after  Sao  Paulo,  the  most  populous 
city  in  southern  Brazil. 

I was  eager  to  visit  it  because  it  has  been,  for  three 
quarters  of  a century,  the  chief  commercial  center  of  the 
numerous  German  colonies  that  owed  their  existence  to  the 
energy  and  enterprise  of  Dom  Pedro  I.  The  first  immi- 
grants established  themselves  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
Porto  Alegre,  but,  from  the  capital  as  a center,  they  gradu- 
ally spread  themselves  over  a great  part  of  the  state.  Like 
their  compatriots  in  the  United  States  of  the  North,  they 
courageously  pushed  into  the  depths  of  the  virgin  forest 
and  the  native  Brazilians  soon  became  aware  of  the  exist- 
ence of  long  chains  of  settlements  and  villages  and  towns 
where  not  only  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  people 
were  German  but  also  the  language  as  well.  German  was 
the  language  taught  in  the  schools  as  well  as  that  spoken 
in  the  homes  and  places  of  business  of  these  sturdy  arrivals 
from  the  Fatherland. 

So  true  is  this  that  one  may  travel  from  Sao  Leopoldo, 
near  Porto  Alegre,  for  almost  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
towards  the  west  and  rarely  hear  any  language  but  German. 
The  greetings  of  the  peasants  on  the  highway  are  a cordial 
guten  Tag  or  guten  Abend,  and  their  accent  is  as  marked  as 
that  of  a newcomer  from  Thuringia  or  the  Rhineland.  They 
are  kind  and  hospitable,  and,  in  this  respect,  remind  one  of 
the  Pennsylvania  Dutch  of  a generation  ago.  They  have 
everywhere  their  Vereine — social  and  athletic  clubs — where 
the  customs  of  their  fathers  are  as  rigidly  preserved  as  in 
any  part  of  Germany.  In  the  larger  towns,  beer  is  the 
favorite  beverage  of  the  club  members,  but  in  the  interior, 
far  from  the  railroad,  mate  takes  its  place.  Everywhere 
one  finds  large  families  of  light-haired,  ruddy-faced  chil- 
dren, and  to  listen  to  their  animated  prattling  in  German 
one  could  readily  fancy  oneself  in  a country  home  in  Ba- 
varia, or  in  a village  in  Hanover. 

As  an  indication  of  the  almost  miraculous  manner  in 

119 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


which  the  Germans  have  multiplied  in  Eio  Grande  do  Sul, 
it  suffices  to  state  that  the  number  of  German  immigrants 
in  the  state  in  1859,  was  not  more  than  twenty  thousand. 
Now,  after  only  two  generations,  their  descendants  number 
two  hundred  thousand.1  If  this  same  rate  of  increase 
should  continue  for  a few  more  generations — and  there  is 
no  apparent  reason  why  it  should  not — one  can  readily  see 
what  will  eventually  be  its  effect  on  the  social  and  economic, 
if  not  the  political,  status  of  this  part  of  Brazil.  In  the 
adjoining  state  of  Santa  Catharina,  the  Germans  already 
constitute  twenty  per  cent,  of  the  population  and  the  rate 
of  increase  there  is  apparently  as  great  as  it  is  in  Rio 
Grande  do  Sul. 

Is  it  any  wonder,  then,  that  there  should  have  been  in 
Brazil,  for  years  past,  an  agitation  against  what  the  Brazil- 
ians were  pleased  to  call  “The  German  Peril” — that  cer- 
tain journalists  and  statesmen  descried  in  the  southern  part 
of  the  republic  the  menace  of  an  independent  nation  like 
that  of  the  Boers,  or  the  making  of  a people  who  would 
eventually  apply  to  the  Fatherland  for  recognition  as  a 
colony  of  the  German  Empire  ? And  is  it  surprising  that 
certain  ardent  Pan-Germanists  should  have  confidently 
looked  forward  to  the  day  when  they  should  see  the  German 
eagle  floating  over  the  fertile  lands  of  Rio  Grande  do  Sul, 
Santa  Catharina  and  Parana,  and  that  they  should,  at  last, 
realize  their  long-cherislied  ambition  of  securing  a per- 
manent foothold  in  the  Western  Hemisphere? 

Even  in  our  own  country,  Deutschtum  in  South  Amer- 
ica became  a subject  of  perennial  interest  and  paramount 
importance,  and  our  government,  ever  on  guard  against 
any  violation  of  the  Monroe  Doctrine,  kept  a watchful  eye 
on  the  progress  of  events  in  the  broad  stretch  of  territory 
drained  by  the  Yguassu  and  the  Uruguay. 

Was  there  any  reason  for  the  apprehension  of  the  Bra- 
zilians, or  any  solid  ground  for  the  hopes  and  ambitions  of 

1 “Brazil,”  p.  297,  by  Pierre  Denis,  London,  1911. 

120 


IN  SEMI-TROPICAL  BRAZIL 


the  Pan-Germanists?  My  own  conclusion,  as  the  result  of 
rather  careful  inquiries  in  various  parts  of  Brazil,  is  that 
there  was  not.  The  fact  that  the  Germans  of  Southern 
Brazil  have,  for  two  generations,  been  so  attached  to  their 
language,  and  to  the  manners  and  customs  of  their  fore- 
fathers is  explained  by  their  total  isolation  from  the  other 
inhabitants  of  the  country.  For,  until  recently,  there  were 
no  railroads  connecting  the  colonies  of  the  interior  with 
one  another  or  with  the  cities  and  towns  of  other  parts  of 
Brazil.  Outside  of  Porto  Alegre  and  certain  towns  near 
the  littoral,  there  was  practically  no  communication  be- 
tween Germans  and  natives.  There  was,  then,  no  reason 
why  the  colonists  should  learn  Portuguese,  or  why  they 
should  abandon  the  habits  of  life  of  their  ancestors.  Under 
such  conditions,  anything  like  national  assimilation  or  ab- 
sorption by  people  with  whom  they  never  came  in  contact 
was  out  of  the  question.  To  all  appearances,  the  colonists 
remained  as  German  at  heart  and  as  loyal  to  their  original 
nationality  as  if  they  were  still  citizens  of  the  Fatherland. 

But,  notwithstanding  these  appearances,  the  great  ma- 
jority of  the  Germans  in  Rio  Grande  do  Sul,  as  well  as  in 
Parana  and  Santa  Catharina,  are  loyal  Brazilian  citizens — 
as  loyal  as  Dr.  Muller,  Brazil’s  eminent  minister  of  foreign 
affairs,  whose  grandfather  was  a German  immigrant  and 
whose  mother  was  German  born — and  they  will  tell  you  so 
unhesitatingly.  In  the  isolated  country  districts,  the  Ger- 
mans of  the  second  and  third  generation  know  little  about 
Germany,  except  by  tradition,  and  have  no  more  attachment 
to  it — probably  not  so  much — than  have  the  people  of  Ger- 
man descent  in  the  United  States. 

And  why  should  they  have?  Their  lot  in  the  great 
majority  of  cases  is  happier  in  Brazil  than  was  that  of 
their  fathers  in  Germany.  For  here  there  is  no  suffering 
from  the  constantly  increasing  subdivision  of  the  soil,  as 
in  Europe.  On  the  contrary,  there  is  a surplus  of  land  for 
all.  And  if  markets  are  not  always  as  accessible  as  might 

121 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


be  desired,  there  is  for  everyone  an  unfailing  supply  of 
fresh  and  wholesome  food.  So  true  is  this  that  one  might 
say  of  the  German  pioneers  in  the  forest  primeval  of  Brazil 
what  Longfellow  in  “Evangeline”  sang  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Acadie : 

“There  the  richest  was  poor,  and  the  poorest  lived  in 
abundance.” 

This  may  be  said  of  many  even  today,  but  there  are  also 
many  others  who  are  rapidly  accumulating  wealth,  and 
who,  in  the  smaller  towns,  as  well  as  in  cities  like  Blumenau, 
Curityba  and  Porto  Alegre,  are  the  recognized  leaders  of 
commerce  and  industry. 

With  the  advent  of  improved  means  of  communication, 
the  apparent  refractoriness  of  certain  Germans  to  assimila- 
tion wi  11  gradually  disappear.  And  nothing  will  contribute 
more  to  the  fusion  of  the  German  with  the  Brazilian  in 
southern  Brazil  than  the  completion  of  the  Brazilian  rail- 
way. For  it  brings  into  business  and  social  relationship 
peoples  who  have  been  separated  by  untoward  conditions 
rather  than  national  antipathy.  It  is,  therefore,  only  a 
question  of  a short  time,  until  we  shall  see  in  Rio  Grande 
do  Sul,  and  the  two  States  to  the  north,  the  same  blending 
of  nationalities  as  we  have  seen  in  our  own  country.  Then, 
in  Southern  Brazil,  we  shall  see  the  descendants  of  Germans, 
who  will  amalgamate  with  the  Brazilians,  developing  a new 
type  of  men — as  every  new  country  produces  a new  type — 
men  who  will  resemble  neither  their  German  forebears  nor 
their  Brazilian  compatriots — but  rather  men  like  the  hardy 
pioneers  of  our  Far  West — men  of  strong  character,  great 
initiative,  quick  decision  and  dauntless  enterprise.  When 
this  day  shall  arrive,  and  it  is  not  so  far  distant,  enthusias- 
tic Pan-Germanists  will  cease  to  dream  of  Deiitschtum  in 
South  America  and  Brazilians  and  others  will  learn  that 
the  so-called  German  peril  was  more  imaginary  than  real. 

122 


IN  SEMI-TROPICAL  BRAZIL 


One  thing  is  certain  and  that  is  that  there  is  no  evidence 
that  Germany  as  a nation  has  ever  had  any  designs  of  con- 
quest in  Southern  Brazil.  Nothing  authorizes  one  to  con- 
clude that  the  Imperial  Government  ever  entertained  the 
project,  even  as  an  hypothesis.  German  leaders  of  com- 
merce and  industry  may  have  striven  to  spread  and  con- 
solidate German  influence,  but  they  have  been  doing  that 
for  several  decades  in  all  parts  of  the  world.  That  the 
German  Government,  under  the  Kaiser’s  inspiration,  has 
in  every  legitimate  way  encouraged  trade  conquest  in  all 
the  republics  of  South  America  no  one  will  deny.  But  that 
it  ever  seriously  contemplated  the  conquest  or  annexation 
of  any  part  of  the  continent,  must,  until  we  shall  have  more 
positive  evidence  than  has  so  far  been  adduced,  be  con- 
sidered as  nothing  more  than  a chimera  conjured  up  by 
overenthusiastic  Pan-Germanists  and  oversuspicious  Bra- 
zilian journalists  and  politicans.1 

1 M.  E.  Tonnelat,  in  his  thoughtful  and  unbiased  ‘‘L’Expansion  Allemande 
Hors  d ’Europe,  ” in  discussing  the  status  of  the  German  colonies  in  Brazil, 
declares:  “Quelques  pangermanistes  exaltes  out  pu  rever  1 ’annexion  a 1’ 

Allemagne  des  trois  Etats  meridionaux  du  Bresil,  Parana,  Santa  Catharina  et 
Rio  Grande  do  Sul.  Mais  le  gouvernement  imperial  ne  parait  disposfi  a tenter 
l’aventure.  Rien  n ’autorise  a penser  qu’  il  en  ait  meme  envisage  1’hypothSse. 
Jusqu’en  1896,  le  reserit  von  der  Heydt  a maintenu  en  Prusse  la  defense  de 
toute  propagande  en  faveur  de  1 ’emigration  vers  le  Bresil.  II  n’a  d’ailleurs 
ete  revoque,  en  1896,  que  pour  les  trois  Etats  de  Parana,  de  Santa  Catharina 
et  de  Rio  Grande  do  Sul.  II  subsiste  encore  pour  le  reste  du  Bresil.  Si  des 
initiatives  privees  ont  essaye  d’y  repandre  et  d’y  consolider  1 ’influence  alle- 
mande, on  peut  dire  que  les  circles  officiels  n’y  etaient  pour  rien.”  P.  144  et 
seq.,  Paris,  1908. 

This  is  in  keeping  with  the  view  of  Sir  Horace  Rumbold  who  declares  that 
the  Germans  of  Argentina  are,  ‘ ‘ A quiet,  unobtrusive,  but  by  no  means  unin- 
fluential  body  of  men,  who  steadily  act  up  to  the  punning  precept  inculcated 
by  the  Iron  Chancellor  on  one  of  his  diplomatists,  whom  he  was  sending  out  to 
South  American  regions — to  seek  trade  and  beware  of  ‘international  difficul- 
ties’— suchen  sie  Handel,  aber  ja  keine  Handel.”  ‘‘The  Great  Silver  River,” 
p.  Ill,  London,  1890. 

That  Bismarck’s  policy  is  that  which  is  still  pursued  by  the  German  Gov- 
ernment seems  clearly  indicated  by  a recent  pronouncement  of  General  Fried- 
rich von  Bernhardi,  in  which  occurs  this  significant  paragraph: 

‘ ‘ That  victorious  Germany  would  seek  expansion  or  political  advantages  in 

123 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


South  America  is,  from  the  purely  military  standpoint,  so  absurd  that  I am 
surprised  any  thinking  person  could  consider  it  seriously.  It  would  be  such 
an  utter  military  impossibility  for  us  to  maintain  ourselves  there;  would  bring 
all  South  America,  not  to  mention  England  and  France,  against  us,  and  for 
what  purpose?  What  possible  chance  would  we  have? 

‘ ‘ A legitimate  commercial  rivalry  with  the  United  States,  yes.  That  ex- 
isted in  South  America  before  the  war,  and  will  return  again  after  the  war; 
but  any  political  purposes  or  hope  of  political  advantages  on  our  part?  Out 
of  the  question.” 


CHAPTER  VII 


URUGUAY  AND  THE  URUGUAYANS 

We  left  Porto  Alegre  shortly  after  sunset,  and  the  fol- 
lowing afternoon  were  at  Santa  Anna  do  Livramento,  on 
the  Uruguayan  frontier.  Contrary  to  what  we  had  been 
told  in  Rio  de  Janeiro,  we  experienced,  during  our  long 
trip  by  rail,  no  discomfort  either  from  dust  or  from  heat. 
Every  hour  the  journey  was  delightful  to  us.  The  tempera- 
ture was  always  bland;  occasional  showers  kept  the  road- 
bed in  fine  condition  for  traveling,  and  the  Brazilian  people 
were  everywhere  so  courteous  and  hospitable  that  we  could 
not  but  feel  at  home  among  them.  And  when  the  hour 
came  to  leave  them  and  their  interesting  country,  we  left 
them  with  unfeigned  regret.  Recalling  our  pleasant  experi- 
ence I should,  therefore,  strongly  advise  those  who  contem- 
plate a visit  to  Brazil  and  Argentina  to  make  the  journey 
from  Rio  de  Janeiro  to  Montevideo  by  rail,  as  we  did.  They 
will  always  remember  it  with  pleasure,  for  they  will  find 
much  along  the  entire  line  to  interest  and  instruct  them — 
much  that  will  be  a revelation  to  them  not  only  regarding 
the  wonderful  resources  of  the  country  but  also  regarding 
the  energy  and  progressiveness  of  its  inhabitants. 

Across  the  border  from  Santa  Anna  do  Livramento  is 
the  town  of  Rivera.  But,  although  those  two  towns  are 
located  in  different  republics,  they  seem,  at  a distance,  to 
be  but  one.  And,  notwithstanding  their  proximity  to  each 
other,  their  aspects  are  in  many  respects  quite  different. 
Santa  Anna  is,  in  the  first  place,  considerably  older  than 
Rivera,  as  is  attested  both  by  its  older  trees  and  the  style 
of  architecture  of  its  buildings.  Then  the  general  color 

125 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


of  tlie  houses  in  Kivera  is  red,  whereas  that  of  Santa  Anna 
is  white.  In  both  cases  the  same  kind  of  stone  is  used,  but 
the  Brazilian,  unlike  the  Uruguayan  buildings,  are  faced 
■with  white  plaster.  Besides  this,  the  streets  of  Bivera  are 
much  better  paved  than  those  of  its  Brazilian  neighbor, 
and  also  much  better  provided  with  shade  trees.  These  dif- 
ferences, which  are  sufficiently  striking,  indicate  clearly 
where  one  town  ends  and  where  the  other  begins.  But 
that  there  may  be  no  doubt  about  it,  there  is  a houseless 
avenue  between  the  two  places  which  serves  as  a boundary 
line.  At  this  place  are  seen  the  custom  house  officers  and 
the  frontier  guards  of  Brazil  and  Uruguay,1  who  fraternize 
with  one  another  as  if  all  their  interests  were  identical. 

Here  we  bade  farewell  to  the  officials  of  the  Brazil  Bail- 
way Company  who  had  accompanied  us  from  Bio  de  Janeiro 
and  Sao  Paulo,  and  had  contributed  so  much  to  the  pleasure 
of  our  journey  through  Southern  Brazil.  And  here,  too,  we 
were  welcomed  by  a delegation  sent  by  the  President  of 
Uruguay  to  take  charge  of  us  and  accompany  us  to  Monte- 
video. They  had  a sumptuous  special  train  ready  for  us, 
and  in  a short  time  we  had  all  our  belongings  transferred 
to  it,  and  were  soon  on  our  way  to  the  capital  of  Uruguay. 

Our  journey  from  Bivera  to  Montevideo  was  made  on 
the  Central  Uruguay  Bail  way — the  longest  and  most  im- 
portant line  in  the  republic.  Unlike  the  Brazil  Bailway, 
which  is  a narrow-gauge,  the  Central  Uruguay  is  a broad- 
gauge  road.  The  track  is  well  ballasted  and  in  perfect 
condition,  while  the  rolling  stock  is  of  the  best.  The  parlor, 
sleeping-  and  dining-cars  of  our  train  were  luxuriously  fur- 
nished and  fully  as  well  equipped  as  those  of  our  best 
limited  trains  in  the  United  States.  The  service  was  excel- 
lent and  the  courtesy  of  the  employees  was  admirable.  All 


1 In  South  America,  Uruguay  is  frequently  called  La  Banda  Oriental — the 
East  Side — because  it  is  on  the  east  side  of  the  Uruguay  River.  For  a similar 
reason,  the  inhabitants  of  the  Banda  Oriental  are  called  los  Orientates  who, 
in  the  United  States,  would  colloquially  be  designated  as  ‘ ‘ Easterners.  ’ ’ 

12  6 


URUGUAY  AND  THE  URUGUAYANS 


this  made  us  congratulate  ourselves  again  for  the  hun- 
dredth time  that  we  had  elected  to  make  the  journey  from 
Rio  de  Janeiro  to  Montevideo  by  land  rather  than  by  sea. 

In  striking  contrast  to  Brazil,  Uruguay  is  marked  by 
its  almost  total  absence  of  forest  lands.  There  are,  it  is 
true,  stretches  of  woodland  here  and  there  in  the  latter 
Republic,  but  nowhere  will  one  find  those  immense  selvas 
which  are  such  conspicuous  features  of  Brazil  from  Rio 
Grande  do  Sul  to  Amazonas  and  from  Para  to  Peru.  It  is 
almost  entirely  a prairie  country,  and  its  undulating,  grassy 
plains  are  almost  exactly  like  those  of  northern  Texas  or 
western  Russia. 

Owing  to  the  recent  advent  of  the  railroad,  the  northern 
part  of  Uruguay  is  but  sparsely  settled.  Towns  are  small 
and  widely  separated  from  one  another.  Everything  in- 
dicates that  it  is  still  a land  of  pioneers,  and  nothing  prob- 
ably more  than  the  primitive  habitations  which  dot  the 
landscape.  Most  of  them  are  rude  huts  constructed  of 
reeds  or  turf  or  a kind  of  adobe.  Some  are  little  more  than 
shelters  made  of  cowhides,  like  those  used  by  the  natives 
of  Patagonia.  But  not  infrequently  we  meet  with  grotesque 
cabins  composed  chiefly  of  tin  cans  and  strips  of  corrugated 
iron,  much  like  those  which,  a few  decades  ago,  were  seen 
in  our  western  mining  camps,  or  along  some  of  our  trans- 
continental railroads  in  Colorado  and  Arizona. 

But  the  inmates  of  these  humble  homes  seemed,  never- 
theless, to  be  blessed  with  health  and  happiness.  They 
were  passing  through  the  first  trying  stages  of  pioneer  life, 
but  judging  by  their  energy  and  thrift,  success  will  soon  re- 
ward their  labors  and  they  will  ere  long  have  larger  and 
more  comfortable  homes  for  themselves  and  for  their  nu- 
merous children. 

I often  wondered  how  it  was  possible  for  the  large 
families  I frequently  saw  huddled  together  in  small  reed 
or  mud  huts  to  live  and  still  retain  health.  Undoubtedly 
their  active,  outdoor  life  aids  immensely  in  warding  off 

127 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


diseases  to  which  they  might  otherwise  be  exposed.  Be- 
sides, these  habitations,  however  rude,  are  always  well  ven- 
tilated and  in  this  respect  are  far  more  sanitary  than  the 
narrow,  ill-ventilated,  noisome  quarters  among  the  slums 
of  our  large  cities.  I have  often  slept  in  these  hovels  of 
the  poor  in  South  America  and  felt  nothing  the  worse  for 
it.  Whatever  other  drawbacks  there  may  have  been,  there 
was  always  an  abundance  of  fresh  air.  Of  course,  the  be- 
nign and  temperate  climate  of  Uruguay  counts  for  much. 
It  makes  it  possible  for  one  to  live  and  enjoy  good  health 
in  mere  sheds,  which  in  more  rigorous  latitudes  would  be 
quite  out  of  the  question.  The  merry  groups  of  hardy, 
chubby  children,  whom  we  saw  playing  around  the  dilapi- 
dated shanties  they  called  their  homes,  were  conclusive 
evidence  that  there  was  little,  if  any,  suffering  caused  by 
lack  of  better  shelter.  Fresh  air  and  sunshine  are  Nature’s 
panacea  every where,  but  the  effects  of  this  panacea  seem 
to  be  more  marked  in  tropical  and  subtropical  climates  than 
anywhere  else. 

We  never  tired  of  admiring  the  tranquil  and  diversified 
beauties  of  the  Uruguayan  landscape.  It  was  restful  both 
to  the  eye  and  to  the  mind.  There  was  nothing  of  the  gran- 
deur of  the  Andean  regions,  for  there  are  no  mountains  in 
Uruguay,  no  volcanoes,  none  of  those  sublime  manifesta- 
tions of  Nature’s  dynamic  energy  which  are  so  conspicuous 
in  many  other  parts  of  the  continent.  But  one  does  not 
always  wish  to  be  a spectator  of  force  and  majesty.  There 
are  times  when  one  prefers  to  turn  to  delicacy  and  beauty; 
when  arcadian  simplicity  and  loveliness  appeal  to  one  more 
strongly  than  what  is  stupendous  and  grandiose. 

We  felt  this  particularly  while  traversing  the  rich,  un- 
dulating plains  of  Uruguay.  The  only  breaks  in  the  broad, 
grassy  expanse  were  rolling  downs  or  fantastic  mesas  like 
those  of  Colorado  or  New  Mexico,  or  occasional  rocky  bluffs 
and  cliffs  and  ravines  such  as  distinguish  the  picturesque 
Valley  of  Eden  in  the  northern  part  of  the  Republic.  Every- 

128 


URUGUAY  AND  THE  URUGUAYANS 


where,  within  the  field  of  view,  there  was  a wealth  of  ver- 
dure and  bloom  that  rendered  the  landscape  as  exquisite 
as  a picture  by  a master.  We  had  left  behind  us,  it  is  true, 
the  gorgeous  and  exuberant  vegetation  of  the  tropics,  and 
probably  for  that  very  reason  we  were  able  to  enjoy  the 
more  the  companionship  of  Flora’s  humbler  but  no  less 
dainty  children.  There  were  blossoms  of  every  hue  and 
fragrance — white  mallows,  blue  lupins,  yellow  marguerites, 
scarlet  verbenas,  purple  thistles,  and  delicately  tinted  hon- 
eysuckles and  passion-flowers.  There  were  large  bushes  ten 
and  twelve  feet  high  that  seemed  to  be  a mass  of  delicate 
mauve  flowers.  There  were  bloomless  shrubs  covered  with 
a parasitic  sweet-pea.  There  were  harebells  and  daisies, 
and  sunflower  and  cactus  blossoms  in  abundance.  But  the 
flower  that  was  most  conspicuous,  that  might  almost  be 
called  the  national  flower,  was  the  ubiquitous  flor  morala 
which  carpets  the  landscape  with  glowing  bands  and  patches 
of  richest  purple.  Go  where  one  will,  one  finds  massed 
banks  of  the  blazing  /?or  morala — flowers  that  grow  in  such 
profusion  that  they  extinguish  all  competitors.  Small  won- 
der, then,  is  it  that  Uruguay  has  been  called  “The  Purple 
Land.”  The  name  adequately  describes  a feature  of  the 
country  which  is  sure  to  arrest  the  attention  of  every  trav- 
eler. 

But  that  which  gives  most  local  color  to  this  marvelous 
land  of  unattainable  horizons — horizons  which,  like  the 
mirages  of  the  Sahara,  may  be  approached  but  never  at- 
tained— is  the  dashing,  picturesque  Gauclio.  Like  his  neigh- 
bor of  Bio  Grande  do  Sul,  he  is  fond  of  display.  His  saddle 
is  ornamented  with  silver,  as  are  also  his  huge,  murderous- 
looking  spurs.  His  poncho  is  a creation  of  many  colors  and 
his  hat  is  a near  relative  of  the  Mexican  sombrero.  And, 
like  the  Arab,  his  greatest  delight  is  a strong,  blooded  steed. 
This  is  his  inseparable  companion — the  joy  of  his  life,  the 
object  of  his  unceasing  solicitude.  He  is  never  happier 
than  when  in  the  saddle,  curveting  and  caracoling  before  a 

129 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


crowd  of  admiring  spectators,  or  careering  like  the  wind 
over  the  broad  pastures  of  a well-stocked  estancia.  With  a 
knife  in  his  belt,  a revolver  in  his  holster  and  a mate  bowl 
slung  by  his  saddle,  he  is  prepared  for  a journey  of  any 
length  and  for  deeds  of  daring  in  any  field  of  adventure. 
He  has  all  the  audacity  and  powers  of  endurance  of  the 
cattleman  of  Rio  Grande  do  Sul  hut,  in  addition  to  these 
traits,  he  possesses  other  characteristics  which  make  him 
a more  impressive  type  of  his  peculiar  and  romantic  race. 
He  is  taller,  of  a fairer  complexion,  and  of  a temperament 
that  is  quite  distinctive.  Fearless,  austere,  dignified,  he  has 
a keen  sense  of  honor  and  of  the  duties  of  hospitality.  He 
is  a born  fighter,  and  when  excited  exhibits  all  the  ferocity 
of  the  Spaniard  and  Charrua  Indian  combined.  It  was  men 
of  this  class  who  fought  under  Artigas,  the  national  hero, 
and  secured  the  independence  of  Uruguay.  It  was  the  same 
race  of  men  who  defeated  the  Portuguese  in  many  a bloody 
conflict,  and  who  courageously  battled  against  the  trained 
legions  of  Brazil  and  Argentina  in  many  a fierce  onslaught. 
No  people  in  South  America  are  more  patriotic,  and  none 
would  make  greater  sacrifices  to  conserve  the  honor  and 
the  independence  of  their  country. 

The  number  of  Negroes  in  Uruguay  is  extremely  small 
compared  with  that  which  obtains  in  Brazil.  The  most  of 
them  are  found  in  the  northern  part  of  the  Republic,  near 
Rio  Grande  do  Sul.  As  for  the  Indians,  they  have  long 
since  disappeared.  The  blood  of  the  Charruas — the  war- 
like tribe  that  gave  so  much  trouble  to  the  Spaniards  dur- 
ing the  period  of  the  conquest  and  during  early  colonial 
times — is  still  found  in  some  of  the  inhabitants,  but  the 
strain  is  so  slight  that  it  is  scarcely  perceptible,  except  in 
the  temperament  of  some  of  the  restless  and  roving  Gau- 
clios. 

The  fauna  of  Uruguay  has  but  few  notable  representa- 
tives. Those  of  most  commercial  value  are  the  rhea,  or 
American  ostrich,  and  the  fur-seal.  Both  of  these,  until 

130 


URUGUAY  AND  THE  URUGUAYANS 


recently,  were  found  in  large  numbers,  but,  owing  to  the 
systematic  pursuit  of  the  rliea  and  the  indiscriminate  kill- 
ing of  the  seal,  both  were  threatened  with  extinction,  until 
the  Government  took  measures  to  insure  their  preservation 
and  increase.  One  may  have  some  idea  of  the  vast  num- 
ber of  ostriches  that  roamed  the  plains  of  Uruguay  in  1909 
from  the  fact  that,  during  that  year,  more  than  fifty  thou- 
sand pounds  of  ostrich  feathers  were  exported  to  the  United 
States  and  Europe.  The  feathers  of  the  rliea  are  not 
nearly  so  valuable  as  those  of  the  African  ostrich,  except 
certain  specially  selected  plumes  which  command  a good 
price. 

The  seals  congregate  at  the  Lobos  Islands,  east  of  Mon- 
tevideo. Here  the  number  of  animals  annually  slaughtered 
for  their  oil  and  skins  has  been  from  ten  to  twenty  thou- 
sand. But,  as  in  our  Pribilof  Islands,  off  Alaska,  they  are 
threatened  with  extermination,  unless  adequate  measures 
are  soon  devised  for  their  protection. 

Considering  its  fertile  soil  and  favorable  climate,  one 
is  surprised  that  Uruguay  does  not  devote  more  attention 
to  agriculture.  So  far  only  about  three  per  cent,  of  the 
country  is  under  cultivation.  The  chief  cereals  produced 
are  wheat  and  maize,  although  oats  and  barley  are  also 
beginning  to  receive  attention.  It  is  expected,  however, 
that  the  various  lines  of  railway  recently  constructed  will 
open  up  new  territory  specially  suitable  for  the  cultivation 
of  wheat  and  maize,  and  that  the  yield  of  these  important 
staples  will  soon  be  very  greatly  augmented. 

One  need  not  travel  long  in  Uruguay  before  realizing 
that  it  is  essentially  a pastoral  country.  There  is  less 
waste  land  in  it  than  in  any  of  the  other  South  American 
republics.  There  are  no  mountains  or  deserts;  no  mys- 
terious and  unexplored  hinterland,  as  in  Brazil  and  Ven- 
ezuela. The  soil  is  not  only  fertile  and  well  watered  by 
countless  rivers  and  streams,  but  is  also  provided  with 
an  abundance  of  nutritious  native  grasses  that  are  aclmira- 

131 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


bly  adapted  to  grazing.  Indeed,  I do  not  think  there  is 
better  pasturage  in  the  southern  continent  than  in  the 
splendid  downlands  watered  by  the  great  Uruguay  and 
its  numerous  affluents.  The  llanos  of  Venezuela  and  Colom- 
bia are  famous  for  their  succulent  grasses  and  for  their 
vast  cattle  ranches,  but  they  have  drawbacks  from  which 
the  pasture  lands  of  Uruguay  are  exempt.  These  are  the 
frequent  lack  of  water,  and  the  noxious  insects  which  infest 
the  herds  and  often  occasion  immense  losses. 

Pastoral  pursuits  in  Uruguay  date  back  full  three  hun- 
dred years.  In  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century, 
Hernando  Arias  de  Saavedra,  the  colonial  governor  of  the 
Rio  de  la  Plata  region,  shipped  a hundred  head  of  cattle 
from  Buenos  Aires  to  the  Banda  Oriental  and  then  turned 
them  loose.  Here  they  multiplied  so  rapidly  that  the  broad 
plains  were  soon  covered  with  them.  So  numerous  did 
they  eventually  become  that  they  were  as  ruthlessly  slaugh- 
tered solely  for  their  hides  as  were  our  buffalo  herds  only 
a few  decades  ago.  These  one  hundred  head  of  cattle  were 
the  beginning  of  Uruguay’s  pastoral  wealth,  the  origin  of 
those  vast  herds  of  native,  long-horned  cattle  which  have 
since  spread  over  such  great  stretches  of  territory. 

For  a long  time  the  Uruguayan  was  satisfied  with  these 
Criollo,  or  native  cattle,  and  made  no  attempt  to  improve 
the  stock.  But  it  is  quite  different  now.  For  today 
estancieros  everywhere  in  the  Republic  vie  with  one  an- 
other in  their  efforts  to  secure  the  best  quality  of  stock  and 
to  improve  it  by  cross-breeding.  England,  France,  Hol- 
land, Belgium,  Switzerland  are  scoured  for  the  best  types 
of  pedigree  stock.  These  are  imported  in  large  numbers, 
regardless  of  price.  A Uruguayan  stockman  would  not 
hesitate  to  pay  five  thousand  dollars  for  a single  animal 
if  he  thought  it  would  serve  his  purpose  of  increasing  the 
value  of  his  herd.  The  Devon,  the  Hereford,  the  Durham, 
the  Aberdeen  Angus  are  introduced  from  England  for  the 
production  of  beef,  while  Swiss,  Norman,  Dutch  and  Flem- 

132 


URUGUAY  AND  THE  URUGUAYANS 


ish  thoroughbreds  are  sought  for  the  development  of  the 
dairy  industry. 

Many  of  the  larger  estancias  are  quite  celebrated  for 
the  number  of  their  registered  cattle.  Some  of  those  be- 
longing to  private  individuals  count  fully  a thousand,  while 
the  estates  of  the  famous  Lemco  Company  have  far  more. 
No  one  takes  more  pride  in  his  blooded  cattle  than  the 
Uruguayan  estanciero.  He  will  talk  of  them  by  the  hour, 
as  a Kentucky  horse-breeder  talks  of  the  favorite  racers 
of  his  stud.  He  prizes  them  very  often  not  so  much  for 
the  money  they  may  bring  him  as  for  the  pleasure  he 
experiences  in  being  the  possessor  of  beautifully  marked, 
elegantly  formed,  pure-bred  animals — animals  that  take 
the  prizes  at  agricultural  shows  and  give  their  owner  pres- 
tige and  preeminence  among  his  fellows. 

The  systematic  efforts  which  Uruguayan  cattlemen  have 
for  several  decades  been  making  to  improve  the  quality  of 
their  herds;  the  encouragement  the  Government  has  been 
giving  to  those  who  could  exhibit  the  best  specimens  of 
mestizo,  or  blooded  stock,  have  produced  results  of  far- 
reaching  importance.  They  have  converted  the  great 
estancias  of  the  country  into  veritable  gold  mines  for  their 
owners,  and  made  Uruguay  one  of  the  great  sources  of 
the  world’s  meat  supply.  According  to  the  latest  esti- 
mates, there  are  now  about  eight  million  cattle  in  the 
Republic,  most  of  which  would  compare  favorably  with 
the  best  animals  marketed  in  the  stockyards  of  Kansas 
City  or  Chicago.  Large  quantities  of  Uruguayan  beef  are 
now  shipped  to  Europe  and  the  United  States,  and,  al- 
though the  amount  is  rapidly  increasing,  the  demand  is  far 
in  excess  of  the  supply.  The  industry  is  still  in  its 
infancy,  for  as  yet  only  a small  part  of  the  boundless  pas- 
tures of  Uruguay  have  been  utilized  for  stock  raising. 
When  the  vast,  unoccupied  areas  shall  be  covered  with  the 
tens  of  millions  of  cattle  which  they  are  capable  of  sup- 
porting, then,  indeed,  will  Uruguay  come  into  its  own  and 

133 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


be  everywhere  recognized  as  one  of  the  world’s  great  cen- 
ters of  food-supply. 

Everybody  is  familiar  with  Liebig’s  extract  of  beef, 
but  few  in  our  country  are  aware  that  the  original  home 
of  this  important  industry  is  in  Uruguay.  For  half  a 
century  its  headquarters  have  been  in  the  enterprising 
town  of  Fray  Bentos  on  the  Uruguay  River.  Here  the 
celebrated  Lemco  and  Oxo  Company  has  what  has  been 
aptly  called  “the  greatest  kitchen  in  the  world.”  Across 
the  river,  at  Colon,  the  same  company  has  a similar  fac- 
tory of  even  greater  magnitude.  One  can  judge  of  the 
immense  scale  on  which  this  corporation  does  business  and 
of  the  world-wide  demand  for  their  carefully  prepared 
products,  not  only  extract  of  beef,  but  also  canned  meats 
of  various  kinds,  when  one  learns  that  several  hundred 
thousand  head  of  cattle  are  slaughtered  annually  at  these 
two  factories  and  that  a large  proportion  of  these  cattle 
are  raised  on  the  company’s  own  estancias.  The  grazing 
lands  of  the  Lemco  and  Oxo  Company  embrace  no  less 
than  five  million  acres  and  their  land  holdings  are  con- 
tinually increasing. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  this  colossal  industry  had  its 
origin  in  the  epoch-making  researches  of  the  famous  Ger- 
man chemist,  Justus  von  Liebig,  the  founder  of  organic 
chemistry.  But  he  never,  I am  sure,  imagined  that  the 
investigations  in  his  laboratory  on  the  rational  preparation 
of  foods  would  lead  to  such  extraordinary  results  as  are 
now  witnessed  in  the  Lemco  factory  at  Fray  Bentos  and 
elsewhere.  When  the  first  specimen  of  meat  extract  was 
brought  to  the  illustrious  chemist,  he  submitted  it  to  a 
very  careful  analysis.  Having  found  that  it  was  made  in 
accordance  with  his  formula,  he  gave  it  his  approval  and 
permitted  it  to  be  called  Extractum  Carnis  Liebig.  But 
he  required  that  the  manufacturers,  in  return  for  the  con- 
tinued use  of  his  name  on  their  product,  should  frequently 
submit  to  him,  as  chief  of  the  scientific  staff  of  the  corn- 

134 


URUGUAY  AND  THE  URUGUAYANS 


pany,  samples  of  the  extract  for  analysis.  He  was  unwill- 
ing to  have  his  name  associated  with  the  enterprise,  unless 
he  could  personally  vouch  for  the  purity  of  the  commodi- 
ties it  put  on  the  market.  More  than  this,  it  was  further 
stipulated  that  his  successors  in  office  should  have  the  same 
rights  in  this  respect  as  he  himself  had  demanded.  The 
company  has  faithfully  complied  with  this  condition  up  to 
the  present  day,  a full  half-century  after  it  was  made.  It 
has  counted,  and  still  counts  among  the  chiefs  of  its  scien- 
tific corps  some  of  the  most  eminent  chemists  of  Germany 
and  England. 

The  chemical,  veterinary,  and  bacteriological  laborato- 
ries of  the  company  are  provided  with  the  most  perfect 
appliances  that  modern  science  has  been  able  to  devise. 
These  are  in  charge  of  a large  staff  of  chemists  from  the 
best  universities  of  Europe,  and  they  leave  nothing  undone 
that  will  insure  the  purity  of  their  product  before  it  leaves 
the  factory.  They  have  established  a world-wide  reputa- 
tion for  the  wholesomeness  and  value  of  the  Lemco  prod- 
ucts, and  it  is  not,  then,  surprising  that  the  company  is 
yearly  extending  its  activities  in  order  to  meet  the  ever- 
increasing  demand  from  all  parts  of  the  world  for  what  is 
now  ranked  as  one  of  the  most  important  of  aliments.1 

1 ‘ ‘ The  Lemco  and  Oxo  Company,  ’ ’ it  has  well  been  said,  ‘ ‘ illustrates  the 
history  of  an  idea,  which  occurred,  in  1850,  to  Baron  Justus  von  Liebig,  who 
suggested  that,  instead  of  killing  cattle  for  their  hides  and  tallow  and  leaving 
their  carcasses  to  rot  on  the  ground,  ranchers  might  do  w'ell  to  devise  an 
economical  process  of  obtaining  an  extract  of  meat  from  the  neglected  beef. 
In  1865  the  idea  was  at  last  put  into  practice.  Baron  Liebig  says:  ‘In  1862 
I received  a visit  from  Herr  Gilbert,  an  engineer  of  Hamburg,  who  had  spent 
many  years  in  South  America  and  Uruguay,  where  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
sheep  and  oxen  are  killed  solely  for  the  hides  and  fat.  He  told  me  that 
directly  he  saw  my  account  of  the  preparation  of  this  extract  he  came  to 
Munich  with  the  intention  of  learning  the  process  and  then  returning  to  South 
America  to  undertake  the  manufacture  on  a large  scale.  I,  therefore,  recom- 
mended Herr  Gilbert  to  Professor  Pettenkofer,  who  willingly  made  him  familiar 
wdth  every  detail  of  the  process.  He  then  returned  to  Uruguay  in  the  summer 
of  1863,  but,  owing  to  many  difficulties  which  generally  hinder  the  introduction 
and  management  of  a new  business,  it  was  almost  a year  before  he  could 

135 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


But  there  are  other  large  establishments  which  swallow 
up  hundreds  of  thousands  of  beeves  every  year.  Among 
these  are  numerous  frigorificos — refrigerating  plants — 
some  of  which  are  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Monte- 
video. These  supply  chilled  and  frozen  meats  for  the  for- 
eign markets. 

Here,  too,  the  Chicago  Beef  Trust  has  gained  a foot- 
hold. Years  ago  it  realized  that  its  strongest  competitor 
for  the  world’s  meat  trade  was  going  to  be  in  Uruguay  and 
Argentina,  and  it  made  haste  to  stretch  out,  octopus-like, 
its  strong  arms  and  strangle  native  industry  before  it  be- 
came too  powerful. 

Then  there  are  also  the  saladeros  for  the  production 
of  tasajo,  or  jerked  beef.  These  require  more  than  half  a 
million  cattle  a year.  The  chief  markets  for  this  product 
is  the  same  as  for  that  prepared  in  Rio  Grande  do  Sul: 
viz.,  Northern  Brazil,  although  a considerable  amount  is 
also  shipped  to  Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  and  certain  of  the 
Portuguese  colonies.  The  importance  of  this  industry 
can  be  realized  when  it  is  known  that  the  amount  of  dried 
beef  exported  each  year  amounts  to  about  fifty  thousand 
tons. 

But  these  stupendous  facts  do  not  tell  the  whole  story 
of  the  magnitude  of  the  pastoral  industry  in  Uruguay. 
We  must  also  advert  to  the  dairy  industry  which,  although 
of  but  recent  origin,  is  beginning  to  exhibit  indications 
of  rapid  development,  especially  in  Colonia  Suiza.  Here 
butter  and  cheese  are  prepared  by  the  industrious  Swiss 
colonists  on  an  extensive  scale,  and  the  product  promises 
soon  to  rival  in  quality  the  celebrated  brands  of  Switzer- 
land or  Denmark.  From  all  indications  the  time  will  come 

actually  commence  the  manufacture.  ’ It  was  arranged  that  the  extract  should 
be  called  ‘ Liebig,  ’ and  in  due  course  the  first  sample  of  about  eighty  pounds 
of  beef  extract  arrived  at  Munich,  and  was  pronounced  highly  satisfactory 
considering  that  it  was  a product  from  the  flesh  of  half-wild  animals.  ’ ’ Cf. 
“Argentina,”  p.  206  by  W.  A.  Hirst,  London,  1912,  and  “El  Uruguay  a 
travcs  de  un  Siglo,  ” p.  315  et  seq.,  by  Carlos  M.  Maneso,  Montevideo,  1910. 

136 


URUGUAY  AND  THE  URUGUAYANS 


when  the  Colonia  Suiza  will  be  as  great  a dairy  center  as 
Elgin  is  at  present,  and  when  its  output  will  be  as  famous. 

I would  not,  however,  have  the  reader  infer  that  the 
pastoral  industry  of  Uruguay  is  confined  to  the  raising 
and  breeding  of  cattle.  Far  from  it.  There  are  now  nearly 
three  times  as  many  sheep  as  cattle  in  the  Republic  and 
their  number  is  continually  increasing.  The  same  care  is 
exercised  in  the  breeding  of  sheep  as  of  cattle.  The  best 
merinos  from  Spain,  the  best  Rambouillets  from  France, 
and  the  best  Southdowns  from  England  are  imported  in 
large  numbers  to  improve  the  native  stock,  and  to  insure 
the  development  of  the  best  type  of  meat-  and  wool- 
producing  breeds.  Uruguayan  mutton  is  already  in  great 
demand  in  the  European  markets,  while  the  wool  furnished 
by  Uruguayan  sheep  is  everywhere  recognized  as  being 
of  superior  quality. 

A word,  too,  must  be  said  about  the  superb  horses 
everywhere  seen  in  this  interesting  country.  No  one  is 
fonder  of  a fine,  pure-bred  horse  than  the  Uruguayan 
estanciero,  and  to  gratify  his  love  of  the  best  types  of 
equine  beauty,  strength  and  fleetness  he  has  his  agents  at 
work  everywhere  looking  for  blooded  horses,  from  the 
steppes  of  Russia  to  the  blue-grass  region  of  Kentucky. 

It  was  interesting  to  observe  the  changes  in  the  land- 
scape as  we  gradually  approached  the  national  capital. 
The  humble  ranchos  of  the  pioneers  of  the  north  were 
replaced  by  the  comfortable  homes  and  imposing  mansions 
of  the  rich  estancieros  of  the  long-settled  districts  of  the 
south.  In  place  of  the  broad,  open  plain,  unbroken  by 
tree  or  forest,  there  were  long  avenues  and  extensive 
groves  of  poplar  and  eucalyptus.  Interspersed  among 
these,  and  adorning  the  gardens,  were  clumps  of  orange, 
mimosa  and  paraiso  trees  whose  lovely  blossoms  delighted 
the  eye  and  filled  the  air  with  their  fragrance.  Blushing 
roses  and  golden  honeysuckles  made  gay  the  greenswards 
which  encircled  picturesque  quintas.  Bright,  prattling 

137 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


children,  well  dressed  and  well  bred,  enlivened  the  scene 
and  told  one  at  a glance  that  one  was  in  a land  of  plenty 
and  contentment. 

We  arrived  in  Montevideo  early  in  the  forenoon,  and, 
after  calling  on  the  President  of  the  Republic  and  other 
government  officials,  who  all  received  us  with  the  utmost 
cordiality,  we  proceeded  to  visit  the  principal  points  of 
interest  in  and  outside  the  capital.  We  were  much  im- 
pressed by  the  broad  streets,  the  beautiful  plazas  and 
stately  edifices  of  Uruguay’s  noble  capital.  Most  of  the 
larger  buildings  are  of  the  French  or  Italian  Renaissance 
style  of  architecture.  The  only  important  structures  dat- 
ing from  colonial  times  are  the  government  palace  and  the 
cathedral. 

Montevideo  is  the  youngest  of  South  American  capitals 
and  has  an  air  of  modernity  about  it  that  is  totally  absent 
from  La  Paz,  Quito  and  Bogota.  A metropolis  of  about 
four  hundred  thousand  inhabitants,  it  everywhere  mani- 
fests enterprise  and  prosperity.  But,  although  everyone 
is  busy,  no  one  seems  to  be  in  a hurry.  Business  is 
transacted  quietly  and  expeditiously,  without  any  of  that 
feverish  haste  that  characterizes  so  many  large  shipping 
centers  in  other  parts  of  the  world. 

Most  of  the  public  buildings  are  models  of  archi- 
tecture. Many  of  them  seem  to  be  almost  reproductions 
of  some  of  the  palatial  structures  of  Paris  or  Vienna.  A 
large  number  of  the  educational  buildings  would  do  credit 
to  any  city  in  Europe  or  the  United  States.  Among  those 
that  particularly  attracted  our  attention  were  the  Uni- 
versity, the  School  of  Medicine,  the  Atheneum,  the  diocesan 
seminary,  the  chemical  laboratory,  the  hygienic  institute, 
and  several  schools  for  secondary  instruction.  Then  there 
is  the  large  convent  school  of  the  Salesian  sisters.  The 
work  accomplished  by  these  devoted  religious  in  the  in- 
struction of  poor  children  deserves  all  the  encomiums  lav- 
ished on  them  by  the  people  of  Montevideo.  The  charitable 

138 


Harbor  op  Montevideo  with  the  Cerro  in  the  Distance. 


Cathedral  of  Montevideo. 


URUGUAY  AND  THE  URUGUAYANS 


institutions,  likewise,  merit  special  mention.  In  few  places 
are  better  provisions  made  for  the  poor  and  the  sick,  for 
the  insane  and  the  foundling.  But  this  care  of  the  helpless 
and  suffering  is  characteristic  of  the  people  of  all  parts 
of  South  America.  They  are  as  charitable  as  they  are 
hospitable,  and,  as  every  traveler  knows,  there  are  no  more 
hospitable  people  in  the  world. 

And  yet,  although  the  public  buildings  of  Montevideo 
are  in  many  respects  so  remarkable,  I was  much  more  inter- 
ested in  the  homes  of  the  people,  especially  those  located 
in  the  city’s  suburbs.  Here  one  finds  even  greater  varieties 
of  architecture  than  in  Sao  Paulo  or  Rio  de  Janeiro. 
There  is  every  type  of  dwelling  from  an  Indian  bungalow 
and  a Swiss  chalet  to  a Moorish  or  a Venetian  palace.  All 
combine  beauty  with  comfort  and  convenience  and,  fre- 
quently, with  luxury. 

But  the  gardens!  And  the  flowers!  Never  have  I seen 
in  any  part  of  the  world  such  marvelous  exhibitions  of 
flowering  plants  and  shrubs,  native  and  exotic,  as  are  found 
about  the  homes  and  quintas  of  the  Montevideans.  They 
surpass  in  profusion  and  exuberance  even  those  of  Rio  de 
Janeiro,  and  that  is  saying  very  much,  indeed.  California 
is  justly  famed  as  a flowerland.  So  is  the  French  Riviera, 
but  I have  never  seen  in  either  of  these  favored  regions 
of  Flora  such  gorgeous  displays  of  bloom  as  I have  wit- 
nessed in  and  around  Uruguay’s  magnificent  capital.  With 
backgrounds  of  palm,  orange,  myrtle,  magnolia,  bamboo, 
mimosa,  alternating  with  the  native  paraiso  and  ombu 
trees  and  the  Australian  eucalyptus,  one  finds  beds  of 
pansies,  carnations,  marguerites  and  lilies,  together  with 
hedges  of  lilac  and  guelder-rose  and  cineraria,  while  walls 
and  houses  are  covered  with  multi-colored  draperies  of 
wistaria,  honeysuckle,  Bougainvillea  and  numerous  other 
creepers  of  every  form  and  hue. 

It  is,  however,  in  their  roses  that  the  Montevideans  take 
their  greatest  pride.  They  are  found  everywhere,  in  pri- 

139 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


vate  gardens  and  in  public  parks,  in  clumps  and  hedges, 
trained  to  trellises  and  columns,  or  falling  in  showers  over 
walls  and  railings.  But  nowhere  are  they  seen  to  such 
advantage  as  in  the  Parque  Urbano  and  in  the  Paseo  del 
Prado — those  exquisite  pleasure  grounds  of  the  national 
capital.  Here  there  are  no  less  than  eight  hundred  varie- 
ties of  roses  collected  from  every  clime.  The  rose-huslies 
themselves  number  many  thousands.  The  casual  observer 
would  say  that  there  are  myriads  of  them.  They  are  dis- 
tributed with  the  most  exquisite  taste  and  their  care,  as 
one  sees  at  a glance,  is  for  the  gardeners  a labor  of  love. 

As  I contemplated  the  superb  rosaries  of  the  Paseo  del 
Prado,  I recalled  Virgil’s  graphic  tliree-word  reference  to 
the  rose-beds  of  Paestum — biferique  rosaria  Pcesti — where 
the  roses  bloomed  twice  a year.  It  was  of  these  same  rose- 
beds  of  Paestum  that  Ausonius  drew  the  charming  picture : 

Vidi  Paestano  gaudere  rosaria  cultu 
Exoriente  novo  roseida  Lucifero.1 

Who  will  indite  to  the  roses  of  Montevideo  sonnet  or 
couplet  fair  as  of  old  Ausonius  sang  of  the  roses  of 
Paestum?  For  the  former  are  incomparably  more  exquis- 
ite; more  varied  than  any  bloom  ever  kissed  by  zephyr 
from  Tyrrhenian  sea;  and  more  worthy,  too,  of  immortal 
verse. 

One  of  the  first  places  visited  by  everyone  who  goes 
to  Montevideo  for  the  first  time  is  the  Cerro  which  gives 
the  city  the  name  it  now  bears.  It  is  a hill  in  the  vicinity 
which  towers  more  than  five  hundred  feet  above  the  bay 
and  from  which  a splendid  view  of  the  capital  and  the 
surrounding  country  is  obtainable.  It  is  the  most  promi- 
nent elevation  in  the  valley  of  the  great  river  over  whose 
estuary  it  stands  guard.  To  find  another  approaching  it  in 

1 1 have  watched  the  beds  that  luxuriate  on  Paestum ’s  well-tilled  soil,  all 
dewy  in  the  young  light  of  the  rising  dawn-star. 

140 


URUGUAY  AND  THE  URUGUAYANS 


height  one  must  go  up  the  flowing  road  to  Asuncion,  the 
capital  of  Paraguay,  a thousand  miles  distant. 

The  story  goes  that  when  this  cerro  was  first  observed 
by  one  of  the  early  missionaries,  while  still  far  away  from 
it,  he  cried  out,  “Montem  video ” — I see  a mountain.  In 
consequence  of  this,  not  only  the  hill  was  called  Monte- 
video, but  also  the  city  which,  long  afterwards,  was  founded 
near  its  base.1  The  cerro  is  crowned  by  a fort  and  a light- 
house. The  fort  was  at  one  time  regarded  as  of  great 
importance  in  the  defense  of  the  city,  but  before  a modern 
siege-gun  it  would  now  have  but  little  value. 

During  the  last  third  of  a century,  Montevideo  has  made 
extraordinary  progress  in  every  way.  In  1879  its  popu- 
lation was  but  little  more  than  seventy  thousand.  Now  it 
counts  six  times  as  many,  and  from  present  indications  it 
will  soon  number  a half -million.  It  is  pleasantly  located  on 
a small  peninsula,  about  a hundred  feet  above  sea  level.  Its 
sanitary  condition  is  excellent  and  is  the  object  of  the 
constant  care  of  a competent  staff  of  medical  experts  con- 
nected with  the  well-equipped  hygienic  and  bacteriological 
laboratories.  Thanks  to  the  watchfulness  of  its  board  of 
health  and  its  admirable  climate,  Montevideo  can  boast  of 
being  one  of  the  most  salubrious  cities  in  South  America. 

It  is  a place,  too,  where  the  traveler  will  wish  to  tarry. 
Its  people  are  not  only  hospitable,  like  all  Latin-Americans, 
but  they  are  exceptionally  refined  and  cultured.  The  mag- 
nificent Atheneum,  where  notable  literary  and  scientific  ses- 
sions are  held,  is  an  evidence  of  the  Montevidean’s  love  of 
science  and  literature,  while  the  imposing  Solis  Theater, 
one  of  the  largest  on  the  continent,  is  a proof  of  their  love 
of  the  best  in  opera  and  the  drama.  Before  the  footlights 
of  this  majestic  building  are  annually  seen  the  most  notable 
lyric  and  dramatic  artists  of  Europe. 

One  of  the  first  things  the  visitor  hears  discussed  on  his 

1 The  full  name  of  the  capital  of  Uruguay  is  San  Felipe  y Santiago  de 
Montevideo. 


141 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


arrival  in  the  city  is  the  program  and  movements  of  the 
Blancos  and  Colorados.  These  are  the  Whites  and  Reds, 
the  rival  political  parties  of  Uruguay.  Their  origin  dates 
back  to  the  first  half  of  the  last  century.  Their  names  are 
derived  from  the  fact  that  General  Oribe,  the  founder  of 
the  Whites,  rode  a white  horse,  while  General  Rivera,  the 
founder  of  the  Reds,  rode  a bay.  The  Colorados  dwell 
chiefly  in  cities  and  towns,  while  the  Blancos,  for  the  most 
part,  live  in  the  country.  Like  the  Bianclii  and  Neri  of 
ancient  Florence,  the  Whites  and  the  Reds  are  strongly 
opposed  to  one  another  and  their  bitter  feuds  have  given 
rise  to  many  and  protracted  civil  wars.  And,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  Bianchi  and  the  Neri,  the  long-standing  feuds 
were  occasioned  chiefly  by  the  desire  of  both  parties  to 
get  control  of  the  government,  rather  than  by  any  differ- 
ence of  political  program,  so  is  it  with  the  Blancos  and 
Colorados.  The  difference  of  policy,  if  there  be  any  at  all, 
is  little  more  than  nominal.  It  is  the  same  struggle  between 
the  ‘ 11  ins”  and  “outs”  found  in  many  other  countries — 
the  struggle  of  the  “ins”  to  hold  power  as  long  as  pos- 
sible, and  the  struggle  of  the  “outs”  to  eject  their  rivals 
and  get  control  of  the  machinery  of  government.  In  spite, 
however,  of  all  the  efforts  of  their  adversaries  to  oust 
them,  the  Colorados  have  now  held  office  for  more  than  half 
a century. 

It  was  in  Montevideo  that  Colonel  Roosevelt  first  gave 
public  expression  in  South  America  to  his  views  on  the 
Monroe  Doctrine.  His  discourses  in  Brazil  dealt  chiefly 
with  progressive  democracy  and  cognate  subjects.  But 
here  an  opportunity  was  given  him  to  enunciate  his  posi- 
tion on  a question  that  has  been  the  subject  of  so  much 
controversy  in  both  the  New  and  the  Old  "World.  And  he 
profited  by  the  opportunity,  and  it  was  well  that  he  did. 
For  nothing  probably  has  given  rise,  especially  during  re- 
cent years,  to  greater  misunderstanding  in  South  America 
than  our  supposed  attitude  regarding  the  Monroe  Doc- 

142 


The  Founding  of  Buenos  Aires  by  Juan  de  Garay. 


* £ 


URUGUAY  AND  THE  URUGUAYANS 


trine.  While  the  weaker  nations  accepted  it  and  felt  secure 
under  its  protecting  aegis,  the  more  powerful  republics,  like 
Brazil,  Argentina  and  Chile,  began  to  look  upon  it,  in  its 
usual  acceptation,  as  something  of  an  anachronism.  Ac- 
cording to  them,  the  Monroe  Doctrine,  if  it  was  to  continue 
to  serve  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  originally  promul- 
gated, needed  modification,  or,  at  least,  required  interpreta- 
tion so  as  to  meet  present  demands  and  be  acceptable  to 
the  three  great  nations  of  South  America  just  mentioned. 
They  did  not  longer  wish  to  be  considered  under  a pro- 
tectorate when  they  felt  quite  able  to  protect  themselves. 

No  better  interpreter  of  the  mucli-discussed  doctrine 
could  have  been  found  than  Colonel  Roosevelt,  or  one  to 
whose  words  all  classes  were  more  disposed  to  give  heed. 
Although  he  spoke  in  an  entirely  unofficial  capacity,  he  was 
looked  upon  as  voicing  the  opinion  of  his  countrymen,  and 
as  expressing  what  would  be  the  future  policy  of  the  United 
States  government,  if  an  occasion  should  ever  arise, 
either  in  South  or  North  America,  for  putting  the  doctrine 
to  a test  under  existing  conditions. 

The  first  time  Colonel  Roosevelt  was  afforded  a good 
opportunity,  during  his  visit,  to  express  his  views  on  the 
Monroe  Doctrine  was  at  a luncheon  tendered  our  party 
in  Montevideo.  On  this  occasion,  the  President  of  Uruguay, 
in  drinking  to  the  health  of  his  distinguished  guest,  re- 
ferred to  him  in  few  but  pregnant  words,  as  the  “defender 
of  the  Monroe  Doctrine  in  the  interests  of  the  whole  of 
America;  the  stanch  partisan  of  international  justice  and 
of  peace  with  honor;  the  fervent  propagandist  of  force  and 
character  placed  at  the  service  of  public  welfare.” 

In  replying  to  this  toast  Colonel  Roosevelt  said,  con- 
cerning the  Monroe  Doctrine:  “It  is  in  no  sense  a doctrine 
of  one-sided  advantage;  it  is  to  be  invoked  only  in  the 
interest  of  all  our  commonwealths  in  the  Western  Hemi- 
sphere. It  should  be  invoked  by  our  nations  in  a spirit 
of  mutual  respect,  and  on  a footing  of  complete  equality 

143 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


of  both  right  and  obligation.  Therefore,  as  soon  as  any 
country  of  the  New  World  stands  on  a sufficiently  high 
footing  of  orderly  liberty  and  achieved  success,  of  self- 
respecting  strength,  it  becomes  a guarantor  of  the  doctrine 
on  a footing  of  complete  equality.  I congratulate  the  coun- 
tries of  South  America  that  I have  visited  and  am  about 
to  visit  that  their  progress  is  such,  in  justice,  political 
stability  and  material  prosperity,  as  to  make  them  also 
the  sponsors  of  the  Monroe  Doctrine,  so  that,  as  regards 
them,  all  that  the  United  States  has  to  do  is  to  stand  ready, 
as  one  of  the  great  brotherhood  of  American  nations,  to 
join  with  them  in  upholding  the  doctrine  should  they  at 
any  time  desire,  in  the  interest  of  the  Western  Hemisphere, 
that  we  should  do  so.  ’ ’ 

These  ideas  of  Colonel  Roosevelt,  so  briefly  expressed 
in  Montevideo,  were  more  fully  developed  in  subsequent 
discourses  elsewhere.  But  so  clear  and  explicit  was  his 
exposition  of  the  doctrine  on  this  occasion  that  his  hearers 
were  forced  to  admit  that,  far  from  being  an  anachronism, 
the  doctrine  in  question,  when  properly  understood,  is  now 
as  much  of  an  actuality  as  it  has  ever  been  since  it  was 
first  promulgated.  The  speaker’s  interpretation  of  it,  and 
his  declaration  that  all  the  great  nations  of  South  America 
must  be  considered  as  co-guarantors  with  the  United  States 
of  the  doctrine,  appealed  to  his  audience  in  a special  manner 
and  commanded,  so  far  as  one  could  judge,  from  the  fre- 
quent rounds  of  applause  which  greeted  the  various  points 
made,  what  was  practically  general  assent.  So  impressed, 
in  fact,  were  many  by  the  speaker’s  able  and  original 
presentation  of  his  views  that  they  did  not  hesitate  to 
declare  that  the  time  had  come  when  the  doctrine,  which 
had  given  rise  to  so  much  controversy,  should  in  future 
be  known  as  the  Roosevelt-Monroe  Doctrine. 

It  was  interesting  to  note  the  impression  made  on  the 
people  of  South  America  when  they  saw  an  ex-President, 
who  is  a Protestant,  traveling  with  a Catholic  priest.  For 

144 


URUGUAY  AND  THE  URUGUAYANS 


many  of  them  it  was  a matter  of  no  little  surprise.  But 
it  was  commented  on  generally  as  an  object  lesson  of  tol- 
erance that  was  sure  to  have  a good  effect  everywhere — 
on  people  of  strong  religious  convictions  as  well  as  on 
those  who  have  none  at  all.  It  appealed  in  a particular 
manner  to  the  officers  of  the  army  and  navy  of  the  differ- 
ent countries  which  we  traversed.  ‘ ‘ Are  you  really  a Cath- 
olic priest,  as  reported?”  I was  once  asked  by  a noted 
admiral  who  sat  next  to  me  at  luncheon.  When  I told  him 
I was,  he  said  with  visible  emotion : “I  am  delighted.  When 
I saw  it  announced  in  the  paper  that  Colonel  Roosevelt  and 
a Catholic  priest  were  traveling  together,  I thought  the 
report  was  too  good  to  be  true.  You  cannot  imagine  what 
a splendid  impression  it  has  made  on  all  classes,  irre- 
spective of  their  religious  beliefs.  It  is  a lesson  of  tolerance 
that  was  much  needed,  and  is  sure  to  be  productive  of 
untold  good.” 

But  the  one  who  expressed  his  pleasure  in  the  most 
striking  manner  was  the  venerable  bishop  of  Montevideo. 
After  inquiring  about  our  country  and  our  projected  jour- 
ney into  the  wilds  of  Brazil,  he  declared  with  touching 
emphasis,  “ El  viaje  de  Ustedes  es  el  viajede  Dios” — The 
journey  of  you  two  is  God’s  journey.  This  was  almost  a 
paraphrase  of  the  words  of  a prominent  diplomat  in  Rio 
de  Janeiro  who,  when  he  was  informed  of  our  plans,  ex- 
pressed his  unfeigned  gratification  and  concluded  with  the 
words:  “Dios  esta  sobre  Ustedes ”■ — God  is  above  you. 

“You  are  doing  His  work.  He  will  have  you  in  His  keep- 
ing.” 


CHAPTER  VIII 


SANTA  MARIA  DE  BUENOS  AIRES 

Our  first  view  of  the  capital  of  Argentina  was  from  the 
deck  of  a trim  cruiser  which  the  Uruguayan  government 
had  put  at  our  disposition  for  crossing  the  broad  estuary 
of  the  Parana  and  the  Uruguay,  known  as  the  Rio  de  la 
Plata,  that  separates  Montevideo  from  Buenos  Aires.1  As 

1 Buenos  Aires  was  founded  in  1535  by  Pedro  de  Mendoza,  who  gave  it 
the  name  of  Santa  Maria  de  los  Buenos  Aires,  in  honor  of  Nuestra  Senora  de 
los  Buenos  Aires — the  patroness  of  Spanish  mariners — towards  whom  the  sea- 
faring men  of  Andalusia  always  manifested  a special  devotion.  Before  em- 
barking from  San  Lucar  for  the  New  World  they  always  visited  the  image 
of  Nuestra  Senora  de  los  Buenos  Aires  in  Seville — an  image  which  was  then 
an  object  of  particular  veneration — to  implore  the  protection  of  their  pat- 
roness and  beg  of  her  the  favor  of  fair  winds  during  their  long  voyage  across 
the  ocean.  This  image  is  now  in  the  palace  of  San  Telmo,  in  Seville,  where 
it  is  carefully  preserved  as  an  object  of  great  historic  interest. 

It  is  frequently  asserted  that  the  name  of  Buenos  Aires  was  due  to 
Saneho  Garcia,  a brother-in-law  of  Mendoza,  who,  on  landing  where  the 
capital  of  Argentina  now  stands,  exclaimed,  “ Que  buenos  aires  son  los  de 
este  pais” — what  good  air  is  in  this  country!  But  this  fancied  origin  of  the 
city ’s  name  is  too  puerile  and  ridiculous  to  deserve  serious  notice. 

Owing  to  the  hostilities  of  the  Indians,  the  city  founded  by  Mendoza  had 
to  be  abandoned  for  nearly  a half  a century.  Its  definitive  foundation  dates 
from  June  11,  1580.  As  this  day  fell  on  Trinity  Sunday,  Juan  de  Garay, 
the  second  founder  of  the  city,  gave  it  the  name  of  Ciudad  de  la  Santisima 
Trinidad  y Puerto  de  Santa  Maria  de  Buenos  Aires.  The  formalities  ob- 
served in  its  foundation  were  solemn  and  impressive.  After  having  named  the 
alcaldes  and  echevins,  Gray  and  his  sixty-three  companions  proceeded  to 
what  was  to  be  the  public  square  of  the  city  and  aided  in  the  erection  of 
what  was  to  be  a gibbet  of  public  justice.  Before  it  they  raised  the  cross 
and  the  royal  standard.  They  then  brandished  their  swords  and  challenged 
anyone  to  contest  their  rights  to  the  territory  on  which  they  stood,  and, 
touching  the  gibbet  with  their  swords,  they  took  formal  possession  of  the  land 
in  the  name  of  the  King  of  Spain,  Philip  II.  A report  of  these  proceedings 
was  then  drawn  up  by  Pedro  de  Peres,  the  public  notary,  and  a copy  of  it  was 

146 


SANTA  MARIA  DE  BUENOS  AIRES 


we  approached  the  harbor  we  descried  a dark  band  on  the 
horizon  which  we  knew  to  be  land.  Soon  afterwards,  we 
were  able  to  see  some  of  the  larger  buildings  of  the  city, 
and  then  gradually  the  broken  sky-line  of  the  great  me- 
tropolis. There  was  nothing  entrancing  about  this  first 
view  of  Argentina’s  capital  like  that  which  so  captivated 
us  when  we  entered  the  magnificent  harbor  of  Rio  de 
Janeiro.  There  was  nothing  like  the  Bay  of  Guanabara  with 
its  hundred  verdant  isles  and  islets;  no  amphitheater  of 
cloud-piercing  mountains  like  that  which  encircles  the  queen 
city  of  Brazil.  There  was  not  even  a natural  harbor  of  any 
kind.  The  greatest  city  of  South  America  is  situated  on  a 
low,  flat  plain  only  a few  feet  above  the  sea,  and  the  harbor, 
as  now  seen,  is  entirely  artificial  and  represents  the  ex- 
penditure of  countless  millions  of  dollars.  Only  by  the 
continuous  action  of  numerous  powerful  dredges  can  the 
port  be  kept  deep  enough  for  large  ocean  liners,  and  can 
the  channels  leading  to  it  from  the  ocean  be  kept  free  of 
the  sand  and  silt  brought  from  the  interior  of  the  continent 
by  those  colossal  waterways — the  Parana  and  the  Uruguay. 

As  seen  from  the  tawny  estuary  of  the  Kio  de  la  Plata, 
Buenos  Aires  is  not  unlike  Chicago  as  viewed  from  Lake 
Michigan.  One  can  see  but  little  of  it,  except  the  part 
adjoining  the  immense  docks  which,  although  but  recently 
constructed,  rival  those  of  Liverpool  and  Antwerp.  There 
is  not  even  a hillock  in  sight — nothing  to  indicate  that  one 
part  of  the  city  is  even  a foot  higher  than  another.  Nor 
is  there  anything  in  the  metropolis  itself,  as  viewed  from 
the  steamer’s  deck,  to  intimate  that  we  are  approaching 
the  third  largest  city  in  the  Western  Hemisphere  and  the 

forwarded  to  Spain,  while  the  orig:nal  was  preserved  in  the  archives  of  the 
newly-founded  city. 

The  name  given  to  the  city  by  Juan  de  Garay  was  subsequently  changed 
by  the  King  of  Spain  into  La  Ciudad  de  la  Trinidad  de  Buenos  Aires,  but, 
for  a long  time  past,  it  has  been  known  simply  as  Buenos  Aires.  In  southern 
South  America  it  is  now  usually  designated  by  English-speaking  people  as 

B.  A. 


147 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


second  largest  Latin  city  in  tlie  world.  And  yet,  after 
New  York  and  Chicago,  Buenos  Aires  is  the  most  populous 
city  in  the  New  World,  and,  among  Latin  cities,  it  is  sur- 
passed only  by  Paris.  It  covers  an  area  more  than  twice 
that  of  Paris,  three  times  that  of  Berlin,  and  four  times 
that  of  Vienna. 

But  one  need  not  wait  until  one  enters  the  city  proper 
to  realize  that  Buenos  Aires  is,  of  a truth,  one  of  the 
world’s  great  centers  of  population  and  commerce.  The 
immense  number  of  merchantmen  from  all  parts  of  the 
globe  show  at  a glance  both  the  magnitude  of  this  famous 
emporium  and  the  vast  amount  of  its  imports  and  exports. 
Flags  of  all  nations  are  seen  flying  from  the  masts  of 
sailers  and  steamers  of  all  sizes,  from  the  small  schooners 
of  Norway  and  Puget  Sound  to  the  splendid  ocean  gray- 
hounds  from  Genoa  and  Hamburg  and  Liverpool.  On  our 
port  and  starboard  quarters  we  see  deep-laden  vessels 
from  Europe  and  Asia  and  the  United  States  that  have 
just  completed  their  long  voyage,  and,  as  we  draw  nearer 
the  city,  we  pass  noble  argosies  of  many  nations  bound 
for  the  far-off  marts  of  commerce  beyond  the  Atlantic  and 
the  Pacific. 

While  still  some  miles  out  in  the  harbor,  we  saw  directly 
ahead  of  us  a number  of  vessels  approaching  us,  gaily 
decked  with  bunting  and  flying  the  banners  of  Argentina 
and  the  United  States.  They  were  crowded  with  people 
waving  handkerchiefs  and  small  flags.  Their  voices,  how- 
ever, were  drowned  by  the  music  of  several  bands.  They 
were  a delegation  of  Argentines  and  people  from  the  United 
States  who  had  come  to  greet  us  and  bid  us  welcome  to 
the  great  metropolis  of  the  Rio  de  la  Plata.  Many  of 
them,  as  was  evidenced  by  their  college  yells,  were  students 
from  various  American  colleges. 

“When  you  reach  Buenos  Aires,  you  will  find  a quarter 
of  a million  people  on  the  streets  to  welcome  you  to  Argen- 
tina.” These  words  were  addressed  to  me  by  a promi- 

148 


SANTA  MARIA  DE  BUENOS  AIRES 


nent  Argentine  just  before  we  left  New  York,  after  he  had 
told  me  of  the  welcome  he  was  sure  our  party  would  receive 
on  our  arrival  in  his  country.  We  had  no  way  of  esti- 
mating the  throngs  that  met  us  at  the  landing  and  filled  the 
streets  through  which  we  passed.  There  may  have  been 
a quarter  of  a million,  and  there  may  have  been  more.  I 
have  rarely  seen  anywhere  such  a sea  of  faces,  and  nowhere 
have  I ever  been  a participant  in  a welcome  that  was  more 
cordial,  or  was  voiced  by  more  people  at  one  and  the  same 
time. 

We  had  no  sooner  set  foot  on  Argentine  soil  than  we 
found  ourselves  in  the  hands  of  hospitable  hosts  and  gen- 
erous friends  whose  only  thought  seemed  to  be  our  pleas- 
ure and  comfort.  Receptions  and  entertainments  of  all 
kinds  had  already  been  arranged  for  our  party  and  every 
opportunity  was  given  us  of  seeing  the  people  and  study- 
ing their  wonderful  achievements  in  every  sphere  of  effort. 

Buenos  Aires  is  not  only  the  largest  city  in  South  Amer- 
ica, but  it  also  has  a more  modern  aspect  than  the  capitals 
of  the  other  republics  of  the  Southern  Continent.  Its  gen- 
eral appearance  and  atmosphere  are  quite  unlike  those  of 
Bogota,  Quito  and  Lima.  There  is  about  it  little  of  that 
glamour  of  romance  that  so  distinguishes  the  capitals  of 
Quesada  and  Belalcazar  and  Pizarro.  This  is  not  because 
Buenos  Aires  is  younger  than  the  three  cities  named,  for 
it  was  founded  by  Mendoza  in  the  same  year  as  Lima  and 
three  years  before  Bogota.  Nor  is  it  because  the  explorers 
and  conquerors  of  the  La  Plata  region  were  lacking  in 
ability  and  achievement.  No  one  would  affirm  that  of  men 
who  contributed  so  much  to  the  discovery  and  colonization 
of  this  part  of  the  world  as  did  Sebastian  Cabot,  Juan 
Diaz  de  Solis,  Cabeza  de  Vaca,  Irala,  Ayolas  and  Mendoza. 
But  their  deeds,  great  as  they  undoubtedly  were,  have  never 
appealed  so  strongly  to  the  imagination  as  the  more  bril- 
liant achievements  of  the  famous  conquerors  of  the  Incas 
and  the  Muiscas. 


149 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Furthermore,  Buenos  Aires  is  almost  entirely  devoid 
of  that  peculiar  charm  of  antiquity  that  so  delights  the 
visitor  in  Quito  and  Bogota.  In  the  latter  one  can  easily 
imagine  oneself  living  in  the  Spain  of  Charles  V,  or 
Philip  II.  But  in  Argentina’s  great  and  enterprising 
capital  everything  is  suggestive  of  the  energy  and  the  rush 
of  the  twentieth  century.  In  certain  of  the  business  streets 
there  is  all  the  feverish  activity  of  Wall  Street  in  New 
York  and  all  the  hurry  and  hustle  of  the  Board  of  Trade 
district  in  Chicago.  Every  man  one  meets  is  preoccupied 
with  business  and  the  pursuit  of  wealth.  There  is  here 
nothing  of  that  dolce  far  niente  which  is  so  marked  a char- 
acteristic of  many  other  Latin- American  cities;  none  of 
that  disposition  to  procrastinate,  which  is  so  well  expressed 
by  the  word  manana — never  do  today  what  can  be  done 
tomorrow. 

One  of  the  first  things  in  Buenos  Aires  to  arrest  the 
attention  of  the  visitor  is  the  extremely  narrow  streets  in 
the  colonial  quarter.  Here  the  thoroughfares  are  little 
more  than  thirty  feet  wide,  including  the  sidewalks  whose 
width,  on  either  side,  barely  exceeds  three  feet.  It  seems 
strange  that  the  founders  of  the  city  should  have  been 
so  sparing  of  space  when  they  had  available  an  unlimited 
amount  of  unoccupied  land.  One  reason  assigned  for  their 
so  doing  was  to  secure  shade  in  the  streets  during  the 
hot  season.  Juan  de  Garay,  who  laid  out  the  city  in  1583, 
certainly  did  not  in  his  plan  of  it  exhibit  the  sagacity  and 
foresight  of  his  illustrious  compatriot,  Francisco  Pizarro, 
who  gave  to  the  city  of  Lima,  of  which  he  was  the  founder, 
the  broad  streets  and  avenues  which  so  enhance  its 
natural  beauty.  It  is  hut  proper,  however,  to  observe 
that  the  thoroughfares  in  the  modern  part  of  Buenos  Aires 
have  all  the  breadth  one  could  desire.  Moreover,  arrange- 
ments have  been  made  for  widening  the  older  streets,  and 
the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  locomotion  in  them  will 
be  as  easy  as  it  is  now  difficult. 

150 


SANTA  MARIA  DE  BUENOS  AIRES 


The  two  most  interesting  thoroughfares  in  the  colonial 
quarter  are  the  Calle  Florida  and  the  Avenida  de  Mayo. 
The  first  is  the  headquarters  for  jewelry  and  the  latest 
fashions  in  feminine  attire.  It  is  to  Buenos  Aires  what 
Rua  do  Ouvidor  is  to  Rio  de  Janeiro  and  what  the  Rue  de 
la  Paix  is  to  Paris. 

Avenida  de  Mayo  is  the  most  imposing  avenue  in  the 
metropolis  and  is  ranked  by  the  natives  among  the  most 
beautiful  streets  in  the  world.  In  many  respects,  it  resem- 
bles one  of  the  grand  boulevards  of  the  French  capital. 
Along  this  broad  and  beautiful  thoroughfare  are  found 
some  of  the  largest  and  most  superb  edifices  in  the  capital. 
Among  these  are  the  Cathedral,  the  Casa  Rosada — Red 
House — which  is  the  official  residence  of  the  President  of 
the  Republic,  and  the  House  of  Congress  which,  on  account 
of  the  vast  amount  of  money  which  has  been  expended  on 
it,  is  known  as  Casa  Dorada — Gilded  House.  But,  as  some 
compensation  for  the  enormous  cost  of  this  building,  the 
people  of  Buenos  Aires  will  have  the  satisfaction  of  know- 
ing, when  it  is  completed,  that  they  have  one  of  the  most 
grandiose  legislative  structures  in  the  Western  Hemi- 
sphere. 

There  are  numerous  plazas  that  are  worthy  of  a visit. 
Many  of  these  have  been  laid  out  under  the  direction  of 
M.  Thays,  a distinguished  landscape  artist  from  France. 
They  are  adorned  with  flower-beds,  shrubs,  trees  and 
statues,  some  of  which  have  considerable  artistic  merit. 
But  the  most  unique  statue  in  the  city  is  that  of  Falucho. 
It  is  remarkable  for  being,  probably,  the  only  monument 
of  the  kind  erected  by  white  men  to  the  memory  of  a Negro. 
Falucho  was  a colored  soldier,  who  was  shot  by  the  Span- 
iards for  refusing,  during  the  War  of  Independence,  to 
mount  guard  over  the  flag  against  which  he  had  so  often 
fought. 

But  by  far  the  most  notable  exhibition  of  statuary  and 
monuments  is  found  in  the  famous  cemetery  of  La  Recoleta. 

151 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


This  is  to  Buenos  Aires  what  Pere  Lachaise  is  to  Paris. 
Here  repose  the  remains  of  the  most  distinguished  men 
and  women  of  Argentina.  There  are  here  many  exquisite 
works  of  art  in  marble,  granite  and  bronze — not  a few  of 
which  are  the  productions  of  the  most  eminent  sculptors 
of  France  and  Italy.  And,  as  in  the  cemeteries  of  all  Latin 
countries,  there  are  here  many  private  mortuary  chapels 
of  the  most  delicate  workmanship.  When  one  contemplates 
the  countless  works  of  art  in  this  silent  city  of  the  dead, 
and  wanders  among  the  carefully  tended  flowers  and  shrubs 
that  grow  in  rare  profusion;  when  one  observes  on  every 
hand  the  touching  evidences  of  loving  hearts  in  keeping 
green,  in  this  beautiful  God’s  acre,  the  precious  memory 
of  the  dear  departed,  there  is  no  material  prompting  to 
sadness  or  melancholy. 

In  a side-chapel  of  the  Cathedral  in  a stately  sepulchral 
monument,  like  that  of  Napoleon  in  Les  Invalides,  are 
preserved  the  treasured  remains  of  the  illustrious  Argen- 
tine general,  San  Martin.  In  view  of  his  splendid  achieve- 
ments during  the  War  of  Independence,  the  people  of  Ar- 
gentina love  to  call  him  the  Washington  of  South  America, 
a title  which  the  inhabitants  of  Venezuela  have  long  claimed 
for  Bolivar.  A careful  and  unbiased  student  of  the  lives 
of  the  two  men  will,  I think,  be  inclined  to  award  the  palm 
to  San  Martin.  For,  as  a general  and  a statesman,  he  was 
certainly  not  inferior  to  Bolivar,  while  as  a man  he  was, 
in  every  way,  his  superior.  San  Martin’s  glory  increases 
with  the  passing  years,  and  from  present  indications  the 
time  is  not  far  distant  when  the  great  majority  of  the  peo- 
ple of  South  America  will  agree  with  the  Argentines  in 
proclaiming  the  liberator  of  Argentina,  Chile  and  Peru  as 
the  most  eminent  warrior  that  the  long  struggle  against 
Spain  produced,  and  in  regarding  him,  as  do  the  Argen- 
tines, as  the  one  who  deserves,  above  all  others,  the  epithet 
of  “The  Washington  of  South  America.” 

As  an  evidence  of  his  admiration  for  San  Martin,  both 

152 


Cathedral.  Buenos  Aires. 


Tomb  of  San  Martin  in  tiie  Cathedral.  Buenos  Aires. 


SANTA  MARIA  DE  BUENOS  AIRES 


as  a soldier  and  as  a patriot,  Colonel  Roosevelt  placed 
an  appropriate  wreath  on  the  tomb  of  the  hero.  He  was 
met  at  the  door  of  the  sacred  edifice  by  the  accomplished 
vicar-general,  Monsignor  Duprat — the  archbishop  was  then 
in  Rome — and  a number  of  the  cathedral  clergy  who 
escorted  him  to  the  tomb  of  the  great  liberator.  Colonel 
Roosevelt  did  many  things  which  greatly  pleased  the  people 
of  Argentine,  during  his  visit  to  their  country,  but  he  did 
nothing  which  so  touched  their  hearts  as  this  tribute  of 
his  to  the  memory  of  their  illustrious  countryman. 

There  are  many  recreation  grounds  in  Buenos  Aires, 
but  the  one  which  I found  most  attractive  was  the  beautiful 
Park  of  Palermo.  It  embraces  nearly  a thousand  acres 
and,  thanks  to  the  genius  of  M.  Thays,  who  is  called  the 
Argentine  Le  Notre,  it  has  already  become  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  parks  in  the  world.  Its  lakes,  drives,  green- 
swards, buildings,  statues,  banks  of  flowers  and  shrubs, 
groves  of  trees  large  and  small,  make  it  the  rival  of  the 
celebrated  Bois  de  Boulogne.  In  many  respects,  indeed, 
it  is  superior  to  the  great  French  park.  Its  floral  display 
is  more  brilliant,  its  plant  life  is  more  exuberant,  and  the 
number  of  species  of  shrubs  and  trees  is  far  greater.  In 
this  respect  it  is  surpassed  only  by  the  marvelous  vegetable 
growths  in  the  parks  and  gardens  of  Rio  de  Janeiro. 

This  park  is  the  favorite  pleasaunce  of  the  Portenos,1 
as  the  people  of  Buenos  Aires  are  called.  Here,  during 
two  or  three  hours  in  the  evening,  one  will  find  a continu- 
ous procession  of  gorgeous  victorias  and  motor-cars  filled 
with  the  wealth  and  fashion  of  Argentina.  Each  vehicle 
is  a moving  picture  of  superbly  gowned  women  and  ex- 
quisitely dressed  children.  Not  even  on  the  Champs- 

1 This  name,  strictly  speaking,  designates  those  who  have  been  born  in 
Buenos  Aires.  They  are  called  Portenos  from  the  old  name  of  the  city,  Puerto 
de  Buenos  Aires.  The  epithet  signifies  people  of  the  Port,  in  contradistinction 
to  those  inhabiting  the  Campo — or  country  districts.  Those  inhabiting  the 
western  part  of  the  Republic  are  sometimes  called  Arribenos,  or,  as  we  should 
say,  people  “out  West”  or  “Westerners.” 

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THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Elysees  will  one  witness  a more  splendid  exhibition  of  the 
latest  Parisian  fashions  than  in  this  spot  during  the  hours 
of  the  daily  drive.  Women,  young  and  old,  come  here  to 
see  and  be  seen;  to  admire  and  be  admired.  While  in 
their  carriages  and  motors,  scarcely  a word  is  spoken. 
All  are  intent  on  watching  the  gorgeous  procession,  saluting 
passing  friends  with  a graceful  wave  of  the  hand  and  in 
scrutinizing  the  passers-by. 

I do  not  think  I ever  saw  anywhere  so  many  beautiful 
children  as  in  the  Park  of  Palermo.  By  a special  excep- 
tion, they  are  free  to  play  on  the  carefully  kept  lawns  and 
wander  among  the  flowers  at  their  sweet  wills.  More  atten- 
tion seems  to  be  given  to  their  apparel  by  their  fond 
mammas  than  even  to  that  of  their  elder  sisters,  and  that 
is  saying  a great  deal.  The  variety  and  combination  of 
colors  of  their  attire  are  always  in  perfect  taste  and  har- 
monize admirably  with  those  of  Flora’s  exquisite  children 
round  about  them.  At  times,  they  seemed  to  me  like  living 
flowers  flitting  among  those  that  were  rooted  to  Mother 
Earth,  or  like  the  beautiful  fairies  of  childhood’s  fancy. 

And  they  seemed  to  be — crowds  of  them — everywhere. 
And  all  of  them  were  beautiful  and  all  animated  pictures 
of  buoyant  life  and  happiness.  They  were  evidence  con- 
clusive that  race-suicide  is  not  one  of  the  crying  disorders 
of  Argentina.  So  far  is  this  from  being  the  case  that  fa- 
thers and  mothers  here  glory  in  large  families  and  regard 
children  as  special  blessings  of  God.  One  frequently  finds 
proud  mothers  of  twelve  and  fifteen  strong,  bright  and 
healthy  children.  Some  years  ago.,  a venerable  lady  of 
ninety-six  years  died  leaving  behind  her  no  fewer  than  two 
hundred  and  ninety-six  descendants.  This,  I was  assured  by 
a prominent  Argentine  statesman,  is  by  no  means  an  excep- 
tional case.  Many  similar  large  families  are  to  be  found 
in  Argentina. 

And  what  is  no  less  remarkable  is  the  strong  affection 
that  all  the  members  of  these  large  families  have  for  one 

154 


SANTA  MARIA  DE  BUENOS  AIRES 


another,  and  especially  for  tlieir  parents.  They  try, 
wherever  possible,  to  live  near  one  another  so  that  they 
may  exchange  daily  visits.  In  some  parts  of  the  country 
the  mode  of  life  is  almost  patriarchal,  for  the  children, 
even  after  they  are  married,  continue  to  live  with  their 
parents,  who  seem  to  be  as  much  attached  to  their  grand- 
children and  great-grandchildren  as  to  their  own  sons  and 
daughters.  For  this  reason  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  see 
thirty  or  forty  members  of  the  same  family  gather  about 
the  table  for  dinner  where  there  is  sure  to  be  a liberal 
supply  of  the  national  dish,  pucker o.1  Such  a home  is  no 
longer  a single  household,  hut  a huge  phalanstery. 

Ahnost  a part  of  the  Palermo  Park  are  the  botanic  and 
zoological  gardens.  Both  are  so  rich  in  floral  and  faunal 
life  that  one  can  never  tire  studying  their  treasures. 

The  botanic  garden  of  Buenos  Aires  is  one  of  the  richest 
and  most  complete  in  the  world.  It  does  not,  it  is  true, 
exhibit  the  marvelous  luxuriance  of  the  botanic  garden  of 
Bio  de  Janeiro,  but  it  possesses,  probably,  for  the  man  of 
science  greater  scientific  value.  For  here  are  gathered  to- 
gether not  only  plants  and  trees  from  all  parts  of  South 
America,  but  from  all  parts  of  the  world.  One  finds  here 
the  graceful  jacaranda  with  its  lovely  clusters  of  purple 
flowers — a tree  that  adorns  many  of  the  streets  and  parks 
of  Argentina;  the  tipa,  with  its  wealth  of  yellow  bloom; 
the  ceiba,  with  its  brilliant  drapery  of  red  and  scarlet  blos- 
soms; the  quebracho,  so  heavy  and  hard  and  so  rich  in 
tannin.  Then  there  are  countless  other  trees  collected  from 
all  parts  of  the  Republic  from  the  Gran  Chaco  to  Patagonia 
— trees  yielding  valuable  resins  and  dyes  and  medicines 
and  perfumes.  Not  the  least  remarkable  of  these  forest 
growths  is  the  Palo  Santo  which  is  the  source  of  a valuable 
essential  oil  which,  among  other  uses  to  which  it  is  put, 
is  employed  in  Bulgaria  in  the  production  of  counterfeit 
attar  of  roses.  Nor  must  I omit  to  mention  the  curious 

1 A disli  composed  of  boiled  meat  and  vegetables. 

155 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


/ lores  del  aire — air  plants — a species  of  Tillandsia  that  is 
found  in  many  parts  of  the  country.  These  epiphytes  are  fre- 
quently found  growing  on  the  dead  branches  of  trees,  and 
require  so  little  nourishment,  except  what  they  derive  from 
the  atmosphere,  that  they  are  said  to  thrive  when  attached 
to  no  other  support  than  a telegraph  wire.  It  would  require 
a volume  to  tell  of  the  wonderful  collection  of  plants  and 
trees  found  in  this  large  and  carefully  planned  garden. 
But  it  required  a Frenchman,  M.  Tliays,  to  make  known 
to  the  Argentines  the  extraordinary  floral  wealth  of  their 
immense  country.  For,  before  he  entered  upon  his  duties 
here,  the  richness  and  the  variety  of  the  flora  of  Argen- 
tina were  absolutely  unknown. 

The  zoological  garden  is,  after  Palermo  Park,  the  most 
popular  resort  of  the  city — especially  for  young  folks.  One 
will  always  find  crowds  of  them  here  standing  before  the 
cages  or  around  the  inclosures  of  the  countless  birds  and 
mammals  which  are  here  assembled.  This  splendid  aggre- 
gation of  animals,  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  is  under 
the  supervision  of  an  Italian,  named  Onelli.  He  is  never 
happier  than  when  with  his  pets.  He  knows  them  all,  and 
they  know  him.  Even  those  that  naturally  should  be  the 
shyest  and  the  most  savage  are  his  friends  and  welcome 
his  approach.  But  Mr.  Onelli  is  more  than  a friend  and 
protector  of  the  animals  intrusted  to  his  care.  Like  Herr 
Hagenbeck,  of  Hamburg,  he  has  succeeded  in  producing,  by 
crossing,  certain  hybrids  that  men  of  science  consider  of 
special  interest  and  value. 

In  the  aristocratic  residential  districts  of  Buenos  Aires, 
one  cannot  help  being  deeply  impressed  by  the  sumptuous- 
ness of  the  homes  of  the  Argentine  millionaires.  Here  one 
will  find  imposing  edifices  of  every  conceivable  style  of 
architecture — from  the  rococo  of  Louis  Quinze  to  the  more 
classic  cinque-cento.  Most  of  the  buildings,  however,  are 
modeled  after  the  Italian  or  French  Benaissance  and  in 
passing  along  such  thoroughfares  as  the  Avenida  Alvear, 

156 


SANTA  MARIA  DE  BUENOS  AIRES 


or  the  Avenida  Sarmiento,  one  can  easily  fancy  oneself  in 
the  most  fashionable  quarter  of  Milan  or  Paris. 

Buenos  Aires,  like  Washington,  is  a city  of  shade  trees. 
They  are  found  everywhere  in  the  greatest  profusion — • 
along  streets  and  avenues,  in  private  gardens  as  well  as 
in  public  parks  and  public  plazas.  Berlin  prides  itself  on 
the  number  of  the  trees  that  adorn  its  thoroughfares  and 
its  celebrated  Tiergarten,  but  the  Argentine  capital  pos- 
sesses more  than  three  times  as  many  trees  as  the  great 
German  metropolis,  and  the  number  is  rapidly  increas- 
ing. 

If  the  founders  of  Buenos  Aires  had  only  anticipated 
the  action  of  their  successors  by  giving  it  wide  streets  and 
an  abundance  of  shade  trees,  as  has  been  done  in  the  neigh- 
boring city  of  La  Plata,  it  would  have  resulted  in  a saving 
of  untold  millions  of  treasure,  and  would  have  contributed 
immensely  not  only  to  the  beauty  of  the  place,  but  also  to 
the  comfort  and  the  pleasure  of  its  inhabitants.  But,  if 
Buenos  Aires  continues  for  another  generation  or  two  to 
grow  and  improve  as  rapidly  as  it  has  during  the  last  third 
of  a century,  the  present  narrow  streets  in  the  business 
quarter  will  all  be  widened  and  will  be  as  well  supplied 
with  shade  trees  as  any  part  of  the  city. 

Although  there  are  many  churches,  large  and  small,  in 
Buenos  Aires,  none  of  them  is  remarkable  as  a specimen 
of  architecture.  The  Church  of  the  Holy  Cross — locally 
known  as  “the  Irish  Church” — is  a beautiful  Gothic  struc- 
ture recently  erected  for  the  benefit  of  the  English-speaking 
Catholics  of  the  city.  It  has  a particular  interest  for 
Americans,  for  it  was  founded  by  one  of  their  compatriots, 
the  Reverend  Father  Fidelis,  provincial  of  the  Congrega- 
tion of  the  Passionists.  He  was  for  several  years  presi- 
dent of  Hobart  and  Kenyon  colleges  in  the  United  States 
and  after  his  conversion  to  the  Catholic  Church  he  became 
distinguished  as  an  author  and  a pulpit  orator.  He  gradu- 
ated from  Harvard  with  the  younger  Oliver  Wendell 

157 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Holmes  and  served  as  an  officer  in  the  Second  Massachu- 
setts Cavalry  during  the  Civil  War.  Colonel  Roosevelt, 
who  was  entertained  by  his  fellow-alumnus  in  the  mon- 
astery of  the  Passionists,  writes  of  him:  “With  his  tall, 
erect  figure  and  fighting  face,  it  seemed  to  me  I could  still 
hear  the  clank  of  the  cavalry  saber  as  he  walked.”  1 For 
many  years  past,  the  sphere  of  this  eminent  churchman’s 
activities  has  been  in  South  America.  He  not  only  intro- 
duced his  order  into  the  Southern  Continent,  but  he  estab- 
lished numerous  monasteries  and  built  many  churches  and 
schools  not  only  in  Argentina,  but  also  in  Chile  and  Brazil 
as  well.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  no  one  man  from  our 
country  has  done  more  in  our  generation  for  the  cause 
of  religion  and  education  in  the  Land  of  the  Southern 
Cross  than  has  this  zealous  and  scholarly  son  of  New  Eng- 
land. 

In  passing  by  the  church  of  Santo  Domingo,  in  front  of 
which  there  is  the  splendid  mausoleum  of  Belgrano,  one 
of  the  great  heroes  of  the  War  of  Independence,  one  will 
notice  how,  in  places,  the  walls  of  the  sacred  edifice  were 
battered  by  artillery  during  the  British  invasion  in  1808. 
In  a church  in  another  part  of  the  city  are  four  time-worn, 
dust-covered  flags  taken  from  the  British  by  the  Spanish 
defenders  of  Buenos  Aires.  The  English  had  just  taken 
Capetown  in  Africa  from  the  Dutch  and,  flushed  with  vic- 
tory, they  wished  to  secure  a foothold  in  the  southern  part 
of  South  America.  During  their  attack  on  Buenos  Aires, 
a part  of  the  British  troops  took  possession  of  the  church 
of  Santo  Domingo.  But  the  Spanish  guns  soon  compelled 
them  to  surrender,  and  the  battered  walls  remain  to  tell  the 
story  of  the  invaders’  repulse.  Owing  to  the  strange  incom- 
petency of  the  chief  officers  in  command  of  the  army  of 
invasion,  the  English  were  forced,  after  a few  days’  fighting, 
to  beat  an  ignominious  retreat,  and  to  abandon  their  ambi- 
tious project  of  making  Argentina  and  Uruguay  appanages 

1 The  Outlook,  March  28,  1914,  p.  713. 

158 


SANTA  MARIA  DE  BUENOS  AIRES 


of  the  British  Crown.1  It  is  interesting  to  speculate  what 
would  now  be  the  present  condition  of  this  part  of  South 
America  had  the  English  been  as  successful  in  conquest  in 
the  La  Plata  region  as  they  were  in  South  Africa. 

The  magnificent  public  and  private  buildings  of  Buenos 
Aires,  its  splendid  parks  and  gardens,  its  mammoth  stores 
and  grain  elevators,  its  sumptuous  railway  stations  and 
colossal  dock-system  are  indications  of  wealth,  prosperity 
and  progress,  but  they  reveal  but  imperfectly  the  ideals 
and  aspirations  of  its  inhabitants.  To  understand  these, 
one  must  visit  some  of  their  numerous  and  perfectly 
equipped  charitable  and  educational  institutions.  These 
are  the  pride  of  every  true  Argentine  and  are,  more  than 
anything  else,  an  indication  of  the  real  character  of  the 
people.  They  exhibit  the  promise  and  the  potency  of  the 
republic’s  future  as  does  nothing  else,  and  show  the  spirit 
of  solidarity  and  cooperation  which  are  daily  becoming 
more  marked  characteristics  of  the  dominating  element  of 
the  Argentine  nation. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  describe  any  of  the  very  large 
number  of  public  institutions  of  learning.  Many  long  chap- 
ters would  be  required  to  do  them  even  partial  justice. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  they  are  in  every  way  worthy  of  the 
great  and  enterprising  capital  of  which  they  are  such  con- 
spicuous ornaments.  Nothing  is  wanting.  From  the  pri- 
mary schools  to  the  university,  everything— buildings, 
equipment,  sanitary  arrangements- — is  the  best  that  money 
can  buy  or  science  suggest.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the 
colleges  of  law  and  medicine;  the  academies  of  art  and 

1 A young  officer  on  the  English  staff,  writing  of  the  ignoble  defeat  of  his 
countrymen,  declares:  “It  appears  to  me  one  of  the  most  severe  blows  that 

England  has  ever  received.  ’ ’ The  British  sought  some  consolation  for  their 
humiliating  discomfiture  in  the  fact  that  their  blundering  commander — General 
Whitelock — was  eourtmartialed.  The  tribunal  which  tried  him  adjudged  that 
he  “be  cashiered  and  declared  totally  unfit  and  unworthy  to  serve  his  Majesty 
in  any  military  capacity  whatever. ” “A  Memoir  of  the  Services  of  Sir  Sam- 
uel Ford  Whittingham,  ’ ’ p.  23.  London,  1868. 

159 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


music;  the  technical  and  trade  schools;  the  chemical,  elec- 
trical, biological  and  bacteriological  laboratories.  Many 
of  these  edifices  are  palatial  in  design  and  finish,  and  equal 
to  the  best  of  similar  institutions  in  the  United  States  or 
Europe. 

The  numerous  schools  and  colleges  conducted  by  vari- 
ous religious  orders  likewise  deserve  unstinted  praise.  It 
was  my  privilege  to  visit  many  of  them,  and  I was  every- 
where deeply  impressed  by  the  vast  range  of  the  work 
accomplished  in  them  and  the  thoroughness  of  the  instruc- 
tion given  in  ever}7  department.  They  are  patronized  by 
the  best  families  of  the  city,  and  the  most  prominent  men 
and  women  in  Argentina,  when  questioned  as  to  where 
they  received  their  education,  will  promptly  reply:  “In 
the  College  of  the  Padres,”  or,  “In  the  Convent.” 

Nor  shall  I dilate  on  the  splendid  institutions  for  the 
poor,  the  sick,  and  the  unfortunate.  There  are  scores  of 
them — some  under  governmental  and  municipal  auspices, 
others  conducted  by  religious  congregations  which  are  par- 
ticularly devoted  to  works  of  charity.  The  buildings  are 
especially  constructed  for  the  purposes  for  which  they 
are  used  and  in  accordance  with  the  strictest  demands  of 
hygienic  principles.  They  are  spacious,  well  lighted,  well 
ventilated,  and  are  models  of  cleanliness  and  comfort  un- 
surpassed by  any  similar  institutions  elsewhere. 

The  educational  and  charitable  organizations  that  I 
wish  specially  to  speak  of  are  those  that  are  in  some  re- 
spects peculiar  to  Buenos  Aires.  They  are  all  conducted 
by  women  and  exhibit  a degree  of  efficiency  that  is  really 
remarkable.  They  show,  probably  better  than  anything 
else,  what  the  Argentine  women  are  capable  of  accomplish- 
ing as  administrators  and  what  success  they  can  achieve, 
even  in  the  most  difficult  enterprises,  when  their  sympa- 
thies are  enlisted  and  when  they  are  given  a free  hand 
to  act  according  to  their  best  judgment. 

I shall  confine  myself  to  only  two  of  these  organiza- 

160 


SANTA  MARIA  DE  BUENOS  AIRES 


tions.  One  of  them  is  known  as  La  Sociedad  de  Beneficencia 
and  the  other  as  Obra  Conservacion  de  la  Fe. 

The  first  organization  had  its  origin  in  1823,  and  was 
due  to  the  initiative  of  Rivadavia,  who,  according  to  the 
historian  Mitre,  “stands  in  America  second  only  to  Wash- 
ington as  the  representative  statesman  of  a free  people.” 
In  nothing,  probably,  did  he  more  clearly  exhibit  his  per- 
spicacity as  a statesman  and  a man  of  affairs  than  in  his 
establishment  of  La  Sociedad  de  Beneficencia.  For,  from 
humble  beginnings,  it  has  become  one  of  the  most  important 
and  best  managed  of  the  philanthropic  institutions  of 
South  America. 

When  Rivadavia  was  confronted  with  the  problem  of 
relieving  the  sufferings  of  the  sick  and  the  helpless  of 
Buenos  Aires,  he  had  the  happy  inspiration  to  invoke  the 
active  cooperation  of  his  countrywomen  in  the  undertaking 
on  the  success  of  which  his  heart  was  set.  Time  has  demon- 
strated the  wisdom  of  his  action,  for  no  movement  inaugu- 
rated by  the  far-seeing  statesman  has  contributed  more  to 
the  relief  of  the  sick  and  the  indigent.  It  is  now  nearly  a 
century  since  La  Sociedad  de  Beneficencia  was  founded, 
and  its  history  has  ever  been  one  of  uninterrupted  prog- 
ress and  noblest  Christian  charity.  It  is  composed  of  sixty 
women  chosen  from  the  leading  families  of  Buenos  Aires. 
To  them  the  Government  confides  to  a great  extent  the  care 
of  the  poor  and  suffering.  Most  of  these  women  are  the 
mothers  of  grown-up  children,  or  widows  who  are  free  to 
consecrate  their  leisure  time  to  the  victims  of  disease  and 
misfortune. 

The  annual  revenue  of  this  society  now  amounts  to  more 
than  four  million  dollars.  The  control  of  this  large  sum 
is  in  the  hands  of  a committee  of  twelve  elected  by  the 
members  of  the  society.  In  the  management  of  the  immense 
revenues  which  come  to  it  from  all  quarters,  the  society 
has  exhibited  evidence  of  capacity  for  administration  that 
is  truly  remarkable. 


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THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


But  in  spite  of  the  success  of  these  devoted  women  as 
financiers,  their  unquestioned  business  integrity,  and  their 
noble  disinterestedness  in  the  greatest  of  the  city’s  chari- 
ties, certain  representatives  of  the  sterner  sex  have  recently 
begun  an  agitation  whose  object  is  to  get  control  of  the  rap- 
idly increasing  funds  of  the  society.  Their  contention  is 
that  men  who  have  greater  experience  in  business  and 
finance  would  be  more  competent  than  women  to  administer 
the  affairs  of  the  society. 

‘‘Why,”  they  ask,  “should  women,  whom  the  law  treats 
as  minors  when  there  is  question  of  the  administration 
of  their  own  property,  be  permitted  to  dispose  of  the  mil- 
lions which  are  intrusted  to  the  society  by  the  public!” 

To  this  question  the  members  of  the  association  simply 
reply:  “Why  should  women,  who  have  for  nearly  a hun- 
dred years  given  such  proofs  of  business  acumen,  financial 
ability,  honest  and  successful  administration,  be  declared 
by  the  law  to  be  minors  in  the  matter  of  the  administration 
of  their  personal  possessions!” 

The  real  reason,  it  is  asserted,  why  the  men  in  question 
desire  a change  in  the  trustees  of  the  funds  of  this  great 
and  growing  organization  is  not  the  incapacity  of  the 
women — for  they  have  proved  their  ability  in  a thousand 
ways  during  three  generations  of  splendid  achievement — 
but  rather  the  honor  and  prestige  which  attach  to  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  funds  of  a society  which  has  become 
of  nation-wide  importance  and  magnitude. 

The  Obra  Conservacion  de  la  Fe,  like  La  Sociedad  de 
Beneficencia,  also  looks  after  the  sick.  But  the  special 
object  of  its  activity  is  the  instruction  of  the  children  of 
the  poor.  There  are  nearly  a score  of  schools  under  the 
direction  of  this  society  and  they  are  attended  by  thou- 
sands of  children.  The  buildings  are  specially  constructed 
for  the  purpose  in  view  and  are  models  in  every  way.  Edu- 
cation is  entirely  gratuitous  and  the  teachers  are  of  the 
best.  I was  struck  by  the  perfect  cleanliness  and  the  admi- 

162 


SANTA  MARIA  DE  BUENOS  AIRES 


rable  hygienic  conditions  everywhere  prevalent.  But  that 
which  impressed  me  most  of  all  was  the  rare  enthusiasm 
of  everyone  engaged  in  this  noble  charity.  Teachers,  as 
well  as  those  charged  with  the  administration  of  the  mate- 
rial and  financial  affairs  of  the  association,  had  their  heart 
and  soul  in  their  work,  as  if  it  was  their  only  interest  in 
life. 

In  addition  to  the  regular  courses  of  instruction  given 
in  the  public  schools,  the  Obra  Conservation  de  la  Fe  has 
special  classes  in  domestic  economy  for  the  girls.  They 
have  well-equipped  ironing-rooms  and  sewing-rooms,  in 
which  all  the  machines  are  operated  by  electricity  and 
in  which  the  young  Portenas  learn  how  to  design,  cut  and 
make  garments  of  all  kinds.  The  remarkable  thing  about 
this  department  is  that  the  pupils  are  not  only  taught  free 
of  charge,  but  that  they  are  also  remunerated  for  their 
work.  They  thus  learn  a useful  trade  and  receive  good 
wages  at  the  same  time.  The  society  reserves  only  one- 
fifth  of  the  profits  accruing  from  the  girls’  work.  This 
is  to  cover  a part  of  the  actual  operating  expenses  of  the 
school.  The  remainder  goes  to  the  girls.  They  are  not 
long  in  the  school  until  their  income  amounts  to  nearly 
a dollar  a day.  For  girls  whose  parents  are  among  the 
poorest  of  the  poor,  this  source  of  income  is  a godsend. 
When  they  have  finished  their  course  of  instruction  in  do- 
mestic science,  they  receive  a diploma  which  is  regarded  as 
the  best  kind  of  recommendation  by  those  needing  their 
services.  Thanks  to  the  training  received  in  these  schools, 
a large  and  ever-increasing  number  of  poor  girls  are 
annually  provided  with  the  means  of  earning  an  honest 
livelihood. 

But  the  society  does  not  stop  at  teaching  the  ordinary 
branches  of  an  education  and  the  various  kinds  of  useful 
trades.  Over  and  above  this,  it  devotes  special  attention  to 
the  religious  instruction  and  moral  training  of  its  pupils. 
For  the  prime  object  of  the  Obra  Conservation  de  la  Fe  is 

163 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


to  turn  out  of  its  schools  students  who  will  be  not  only  good 
citizens,  but  also  intelligent  and  loyal  adherents  of  the 
Church  of  their  fathers.  In  this  respect,  the  devoted  women 
who  are  at  the  head  of  this  excellent  organization — and  they 
count  among  their  number  representatives  of  the  oldest 
and  best  families  of  the  city — have  been  singularly  suc- 
cessful. For  they  can  now  behold  in  all  parts  of  the  great 
capital  the  blessed  fruits  of  their  untiring  exertions,  zeal 
and  superabundant  charity  for  those  little  ones  who  are 
so  dear  to  the  heart  of  their  Divine  Master. 

It  may  be  observed  here  in  passing  that,  during  the 
last  generation,  Argentina  has  spent  more  per  capita  in 
the  education  of  her  children  than  any  country  in  the  world, 
except  Australia. 

Parisians  are  wont  to  declare  that  Paris  is  France. 
One  can  likewise  affirm,  and  with  more  truth,  that  Buenos 
Aires  is  Argentina.  It  is  practically  the  clearing-house 
for  the  business  of  the  entire  Republic.  It  is  true  that  Ro- 
sario and  Bahia  Blanca — ‘‘The  Liverpool  of  the  South” — 
are  rapidly  becoming  important  business  centers  for  for- 
eign commerce,  but  Buenos  Aires  is  still  the  principal  point 
of  contact  with  North  America  and  Europe.  This  is  evi- 
denced by  the  vast  number  of  merchantmen  always  found 
along  the  miles  of  dockage  loading  the  products  of  the 
Pampa  for  the  markets  of  the  Old  and  the  New  World,  or 
delivering  commodities  of  every  kind  from  all  the  ports 
of  the  globe.  And,  although  nearly  fifty  million  dollars 
have  been  spent  within  recent  years  on  the  extension  and 
improvement  of  the  immense  dock-system,  it  is  still  inade- 
quate to  meet  the  rapidly  increasing  demands  of  commerce. 

No  city  in  the  world,  not  even  Chicago,  has  exhibited 
a more  rapid  growth  than  Buenos  Aires.  In  1869  it  counted 
only  one  hundred  and  seventy-seven  thousand  inhabitants. 
Now  its  population  is  rapidly  approaching  two  millions. 
In  1870  sanitation  was  practically  unknown.  There  were 
no  sewers,  no  waterworks,  no  paved  streets.  Water  was 

164 


SANTA  MARIA  DE  BUENOS  AIRES 


supplied  by  cisterns  and  street  illumination  was  of  the 
most  primitive  kind.  Tlie  bouses  of  bricks,  or  adobe,  were 
only  one  story  high,  as  were  most  of  the  buildings  of  the 
colonial  period.  When  it  rained,  the  streets  were  im- 
passable and  the  city  was  so  isolated  from  the  surrounding 
country  that  it  was  impossible  to  obtain,  fresh  meat  or  vege- 
tables. Florida,  which  is  now  the  rendezvous  of  wealth 
and  fashion,  was  then  little  more  than  a cloacal  channel, 
like  the  Canal  do  Mangue  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  during  the 
same  period.  The  Plaza  de  Mayo,  then  near  the  landing- 
place  of  small  craft,  was  the  center  of  the  city. 

All  this  is  now  changed.  The  streets  and  avenues  are 
paved  and  asphalted.  The  water  and  sewer  systems  are 
admirable.  The  electric  light  is  everywhere.  And  the  sani- 
tation of  the  city  is  so  carefully  looked  after  that  its  annual 
mortality  has  been  reduced  to  fifteen  per  thousand.  And, 
although  fabulous  sums  have  already  been  spent  on  im- 
provements of  this  kind,  the  plans  which  have  been  adopted 
for  the  city’s  betterment  call  for  the  expenditure  of  nearly 
a hundred  million  dollars  more. 

But  Buenos  Aires  is  not  satisfied  with  being  the  second 
largest  Latin  city  in  the  world  and  the  third  largest  in 
the  Western  Hemisphere.  It  aspires  to  be  the  rival  of 
Paris,  New  York,  London.  At  present,  its  population  is 
one-sixth  that  of  the  whole  Republic,  but  it  is  daily  increas- 
ing with  vertiginous  rapidity.  Immigrants  from  all  parts 
of  Europe  are  pouring  into  it  by  tens  of  thousands  every 
year.  Streets  are  being  widened  and  large  buildings  erected 
but  a few  years  ago  are  razed  to  give  place  to  more  sumptu- 
ous structures,  or  to  skyscrapers  of  steel  and  granite  and 
marble.  It  has  an  excellent  street-car  system,  but  it  has 
been  found  necessary  to  supplement  this  by  underground 
railways,  which  are  fully  as  good  as  the  best  in  New  York 
or  Paris.  It  is  now  the  order  of  the  day  that  all  public 
buildings  must  be  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  similar  struc- 
tures in  the  world’s  greatest  capitals.  Hence  the  splendid 

165 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


specimens  of  neo-Corintliian  architecture  that  so  fre- 
quently delight  the  eye.  And  hence  the  magnificent  schools, 
hospitals,  museums,  libraries,  art  galleries,  government 
buildings  which  embody  the  best  features  and  possess  the 
best  equipment  that  architectural  and  engineering  genius 
can  suggest. 

The  celebrated  Teatro  Colon  is  a case  in  point.  It  is 
not  only  an  imposing  edifice,  splendidly  furnished  and  ar- 
tistically adorned,  but  it  is  also  the  largest  opera  house 
in  the  world.  It  will  seat  comfortably  nearly  twice  as  many 
as  the  great  Opera  in  Paris.  It  was  in  this  superb  struc- 
ture that  Colonel  Roosevelt  gave  his  chief  discourses  before 
applauding  thousands.  It  is  here,  too,  that  the  most  emi- 
nent lyric  artists  of  Europe  appear  every  season  before 
the  elite  of  Argentina’s  wealth  and  culture. 

But  the  Porteno  is  not  satisfied  to  have  the  public  build- 
ings unexcelled  in  size  and  beauty.  His  ambition  extends 
to  private  edifices  as  well.  I have  already  referred  to 
the  luxurious  residences,  of  every  style  of  architecture, 
of  the  merchant  princes  of  Buenos  Aires  and  of  the  mil- 
lionaire estancieros  who  spend  a part  of  the  year  in  the 
capital.  I wish  here  to  allude  to  the  home  of  the  Prensa — 
the  most  sumptuous  newspaper  building  in  existence. 
Neither  Europe  nor  our  own  country  has  anything  to  ap- 
proach it  in  the  richness  of  its  appointments  and  in  the 
provisions  made  for  the  comfort  and  improvement  of  the 
journal’s  employees. 

And  when  the  visitor  expresses  his  surprise  at  the  ex- 
traordinary growth  of  the  city  during  the  last  third  of  a 
century,  the  enthusiastic  Argentine  will  exclaim:  “Wait 
a few  years  longer  and  you  will  see  here  a metropolis 
that  will  be  unsurpassed  in  wealth  and  magnificence.  Our 
capital  is  yet  in  a state  of  formation.  We  are  still  tear- 
ing down  and  rebuilding;  experimenting  and  trying  to 
gauge  the  wants  of  the  future.  But  in  a few  decades  more 
Buenos  Aires  will  acknowledge  no  superior  anywhere.” 

166 


SANTA  MARIA  DE  BUENOS  AIRES 


The  Argentine  entertains  tlie  same  exalted  ideas  re- 
garding the  future  of  his  country  as  he  does  respecting 
his  capital.  He  already  sees  it  as  the  dominant  element 
of  a great  confederation — the  center  of  an  immense  Re- 
public augmented  hy  the  peaceful  accession  of  Uruguay, 
Chile  and  Paraguay.  He  contemplates  it  as  the  United 
States  of  South  America,  the  friendly  rival  of  the  Great 
United  States  of  the  North — the  two  powers  that  are  des- 
tined to  control  the  commerce  and  dictate  the  peace  of 
the  world. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  find  in  any  country  more  natural 
pride,  more  undisguised  chauvinism  than  in  Argentina. 
It  shows  itself  everywhere — in  the  schools,  in  social  gather- 
ings, in  political  and  military  reunions.  But  it  is  particu- 
larly conspicuous  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  May  and  other 
national  holidays.  In  nothing,  however,  does  it  show  itself 
more  strikingly  than  in  the  patriotic  catechism  which  all 
school  children  are  required  to  learn  by  heart.  The  fol- 
lowing questions  and  answers  from  this  catechism  are  an 
illustration  of  the  patriotic  spirit  which  is  instilled  into 
the  minds  of  young  Argentines  from  their  earliest  school 
days : 

“How  do  you  consider  yourself  in  relation  to  your  com- 
patriots'?” 

“I  consider  myself  as  bound  to  them  by  a sentiment 
which  unites  all.” 

“What  is  it?” 

“The  sentiment  that  the  Argentine  Republic  is  the  best 
country  in  the  world.” 

“What  are  the  duties  of  a good  citizen?” 

“First  of  all,  to  love  one’s  country.” 

“More  even  than  our  parents?” 

“More  than  anything  whatever.” 

Further  on,  in  response  to  a question  of  the  teacher, 
the  pupil  replies : 

“In  the  veins  of  no  human  being  does  there  flow  more 

167 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


generous  blood  than  in  our  own ; in  the  annals  of  the  world 
the  origin  of  no  nationality  is  more  resplendent  with  a 
more  brilliant  aureole  than  that  which  encircles  the  brow 
of  the  Argentine  Republic.  I am  proud  of  my  origin,  of 
my  race,  of  my  country.  ’ ’ 1 

The  Argentine  flag  is  found  in  every  classroom,  behind 
the  teacher’s  chair.  This  is  frequently  saluted  by  the  pu- 
pils, especially  when  the  national  anthem  is  sung,  which 
is  something  of  very  frequent  occurrence.  When  the  name 
of  San  Martin,  the  hero  of  Argentine  independence,  is 
pronounced  by  the  teacher,  during  class  hours,  both  teach- 
ers and  pupils  must  rise  and,  giving  the  military  salute, 
must  exclaim:  “Viva  la  P atria!”  With  such  frequent  and 
such  ardent  professions  of  patriotism  on  the  part  of  young 
and  old,  can  one  wonder  that  chauvinism  of  the  most 
pronounced  character  pervades  all  classes  in  Argentina 
irrespective  of  the  nationality  of  their  forebears? 

Even  Argentina’s  men  of  science  seemed  to  have  been 
carried  away  by  a kind  of  chauvinism.  For  one  of  the 
most  noted  of  them,  Dr.  Ameghino,  announced,  not  many 
years  ago,  that  the  Garden  of  Eden  was  located  at  Monte 
Hermoso — between  Buenos  Aires  and  Bahia  Blanca — and 
that  he  had  discovered  there  the  remains  of  the  father 
of  the  human  race.  The  name  given  this  Argentine  Adam 
is  Tetraprothomo  Argentinus,  and  those  interested  in  read- 
ing a full  account  of  their  primeval  ancestor  will  find  it 
in  the  Anales  del  Museo  Nacional  de  Buenos  Aires.  I fear, 
however,  that  the  final  verdict  of  the  world  of  science  re- 
specting these  claims  of  Dr.  Ameghino  will  be  that  they 
have  but  little  more  basis  in  fact  than  a legend  of  the  com- 
mon people  of  Argentina  who  declare  that  our  Lord’s 
Crown  of  Thorns  was  made  from  the  spines  of  the  Es- 
pinillo  de  Corona — a species  of  acacia  which  grows  in  vari- 
ous parts  of  their  country. 

1 Cf.  “En  Argentine  de  la  Plata  a la  Cordill&res, ’ ’ p.  398,  by  M,  Jules 
Huret.  Paris,  1913. 


168 


SANTA  MARIA  DE  BUENOS  AIRES 


Nowhere,  perhaps,  not  even  in  Chicago  or  New  York, 
where  one  hears  a babel  of  tongues,  will  one  find  a more 
cosmopolitan  population  than  in  Buenos  Aires.  Here  there 
seem  to  be  representatives  from  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth.  Besides  the  thousands  from  Great  Britain  and  the 
United  States,  there  are  Italians,  Spaniards,  Germans, 
Russians,  Poles,  Hungarians,  Belgians,  French,  Scandi- 
navians, Turks,  Syrians,  Armenians,  Basques — all  seek- 
ing homes  and  fortunes  in  this  latest  land  of  promise. 

The  nation  that  has  the  largest  representation  here  is 
Italy.  There  are,  indeed,  almost  as  many  Italians  in 
Buenos  Aires  as  in  Rome.  They  are  found  everywhere  and 
in  all  occupations,  from  that  of  the  bootblack  on  the  street 
corner  to  that  of  the  bank  president  and  the  legislator 
in  the  National  Congress.  Indeed,  some  of  Argentina’s 
most  distinguished  statesmen  and  most  successful  men  of 
affairs  have  been  of  Italian  birth  or  descent.  The  musical 
tongue  of  Dante  and  Tasso — la  lingua  toscana  in  bocca 
romana — is  heard  in  every  part  of  the  city,  and  one  has 
only  to  close  one’s  eyes  to  fancy  oneself  in  Florence  or 
Rome.  In  certain  quarters  one  hears  more  frequently  the 
dialects  of  Sicily  and  Naples,  Venice  and  Calabra.  Every- 
where these  children  from  sunny  Italy  are  as  numerous 
and  as  busy  as  ants  in  an  ant-hill — the  representatives  of 
labor  and  thrift  in  an  environment  of  colossal  wealth  and 
megalomania. 

Next  to  the  Italians,  in  point  of  numbers,  come  the 
Spaniards — not  those  who  have  long  lived  in  the  country, 
but  those  who  have  arrived  here  within  the  last  few  dec- 
ades. There  are  myriads  of  them — sober,  industrious,  en- 
terprising people  from  all  parts  of  the  Peninsula — the 
hardy  Galician,  the  wide-awake  Catalonian,  the  patient 
Basque,  the  ardent  Andalusian.  One  recognizes  them  by 
their  peculiarities  of  language,  as  one  distinguishes  the 
various  types  of  Italians  by  their  striking  differences  of 
dialects.  Like  the  Italians,  the  Spaniards  readily  assimi- 

169 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


late  with  the  native-born  population  and  their  children  are 
sure  to  be  ardent  and  enthusiastic  Argentines. 

The  great  majority  of  the  Spaniards  and  Italians  be- 
long to  the  laboring  classes.  The  French,  English  and 
Germans,  on  the  contrary,  are  conspicuous  as  merchants, 
bankers,  capitalists.  They  have  large  interests  in  rail- 
roads and  electric  plants,  and  in  all  kinds  of  industrial  en- 
terprises. Much  of  the  “big  business”  of  the  country  is 
in  their  hands  or  under  their  control.  The  investments  and 
loans  of  France,  England  and  Germany  in  Argentina 
aggregate  considerably  more  than  two  billion  dollars.  It 
was  the  active  cooperation  of  these  three  great  nations  that 
enabled  Argentina  to  develop  her  marvelous  natural  re- 
sources and  to  reach  the  enviable  place  she  now  occupies 
in  the  world  of  commerce  and  industry. 

To  see  the  people  of  Buenos  Aires  at  their  best,  one 
must  meet  them  in  their  homes  and  in  those  beautiful  so- 
cial reunions  which  are  so  prominent  a feature  of  Argen- 
tine society.  Their  home  life  is  ideal.  The  devotion  of 
parents  to  children  and  the  affection  of  children  for  parents 
are  admirable.  For  exhibitions  of  wealth  and  luxury,  one 
goes  to  the  Hippodrome  or  the  Teatro  Colon.  I shall  never 
forget  the  gorgeous  scene  I witnessed  in  the  latter  place 
at  a grand  banquet  that  was  given  in  it  after  Colonel 
Roosevelt  had  finished  his  course  of  lectures  on  Progressive 
Democracy.  Besides  those  seated  at  the  table,  six  thou- 
sand people  were  assembled  in  the  boxes,  galleries,  aisles 
and  lobbies.  Not  even  the  first  night  of  grand  opera 
would  have  brought  together  so  great  a concourse.  The 
elite  of  the  city  were  present.  The  men  were  garbed  in  the 
latest  fashion  and  seemed  even  finicky  about  the  minutest 
details  of  their  personal  appearance.  The  toilettes  of  the 
women,  young  and  old,  were  dreams  of  elegance  and  lux- 
ury. Everywhere  were  seen  the  latest  creations  of  Worth, 
Doucet,  Paquin  and  Redfern.  The  women  of  New  York 
and  Washington  are  said  to  be,  after  their  sisters  in  Paris, 

170 


SANTA  MARIA  DE  BUENOS  AIRES 


the  best-dressed  women  in  the  world.  Those  competent  to 
judge  claim  this  distinction  for  the  women  of  Buenos  Aires. 
Their  taste  is  as  exquisite  as  their  sense  of  harmony  in 
selecting  fabrics  and  colors  best  adapted  to  enhance  their 
personal  charms  is  perfect.  On  the  night  in  question, 
the  toilettes  and  jewels  represented  fortunes.  In  the  front 
of  the  tiers  of  boxes  were  young  women  in  white,  loaded 
with  roses,  and  ablaze  with  diamonds.  As  seen  from  the 
stage,  these  circles  of  youthful,  happy  ninas  Portenas,  with 
delicate  features  and  flashing  eyes,  recalled  the  mystic 
white  rose  described  by  Dante  in  the  “Paradiso”: 

Le  facce  tutte  avean  di  fiamma  viva, 

E 1 ’all  d’oro,  e l’altro  tanto,  bianco, 

Che  nulla  neve  a quel  termine  arriva. 

Quando  scendean  nel  fior,  di  banco  in  banco 
Porgevan  della  pace  e dell  ’ardore, 

Ch’  egli  acquistavan.1 

It  must  have  been  a scene  like  this  that  inspired  the 
beautiful  ode  of  the  Argentine  poet,  Cruz  Varela,  on  the 
“Bello  Sexo  de  Buenos  Aires.”  He  pictures  the  city  as 
proud  of  its  charming  daughters,  and  declares  that  it  is 
impossible  to  choose  among  them,  for  they  are  all  beauti- 
ful— todas  son  bellas. 

The  banquet  in  the  Teatro  Colon  was  virtually  the  pub- 
lic farewell  of  Buenos  Aires  to  the  members  of  our  party. 
It  was  a worthy  crowning  of  all  the  kindness  and  courtesy 
shown  us  during  our  sojourn  in  this  hospitable  city.  Every 
hour  spent  there  was  one  of  unalloyed  delight.  We  had 
heard  much  about  the  greatness,  the  enterprise,  the  phe- 
nomenal growth  of  Buenos  Aires;  we  had  been  regaled 

1 Faces  had  they  of  flame,  and  wings  of  gold ; 

The  rest  wTas  whiter  than  the  driven  snow; 

And  as  they  flitted  down  into  the  flower, 

From  range  to  range, 

Whispered  the  peace  and  ardor  which  they  wore. 

171 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


with  long  stories  about  its  superb  parks  and  avenues,  its 
palatial  homes,  its  sumptuous  edifices  devoted  to  educa- 
tion, art,  science,  philanthropy,  religion.  We  had  been 
told  about  the  generosity  and  patriotic  spirit  of  its  men; 
of  the  charm  of  its  women,  of  their  nobility  of  character, 
of  their  purity  of  life,  of  their  devotion  to  their  family, 
of  the  beauty  of  their  children,  of  their  deeply  religious 
nature,  of  their  miracles  of  charity  in  behalf  of  afflicted 
humanity,  but  we  had  to  confess,  after  our  all  too  brief 
visit  among  them,  that  we  had  not  heard  half  the  truth 
about  the  glories  of  this  wonderful  metropolis,  or  of  the 
surpassing  excellency  of  its  inhabitants. 

And  when  the  time  came  to  bid  farewell  to  those  who 
had  treated  us  with  all  the  affection  of  friends  and  broth- 
ers, we  felt  again  the  renewal  of  the  acute  pang  of  parting 
that  we  had  already  so  frequently  experienced  during  the 
course  of  our  eventful  journey.  I,  for  one,  felt  constrained 
to  give  expression  to  my  feelings  by  quoting  from  the 
“Adios”  of  the  young  Argentine  poet,  Florencio  Balcarce, 
who  was  fated  to  die  prematurely  far  from  the  land  of  his 
birth: 

Adios ! Buenos  Aires ; amigos,  adios ! 
******* 

Adios ! Buenos  Aires ; mil  veces  y mil. 


CHAPTER  IX 


THE  ARGENTINE  PAMPA 

Before  leaving  the  United  States,  Colonel  Roosevelt  and 
I determined  that  we  should  see  as  much  of  the  great 
Argentine  Republic  as  possible.  We  wished  to  study  it 
and  its  people  in  the  north  and  the  south,  in  the  east  and 
in  the  west.  For  we  felt  that  we  could  not,  by  taking  the 
usual  direct  route  from  Buenos  Aires  to  Santiago,  do  jus- 
tice to  a country  whose  area  is  more  than  a third  of  that 
of  the  continental  United  States.  For  this  reason,  when 
we  were  ready  to  start  for  Chile,  we  went  thither,  accord- 
ing to  our  itinerary,  by  way  of  Rosario,  Tucuman,  Cor- 
doba and  Mendoza.  This  afforded  us  an  opportunity  not 
only  of  seeing  enterprising  modern  cities,  but  also  of  study- 
ing some  of  those  whose  foundation  dates  back  to  the  time 
of  the  Conquistadores — cities,  too,  which  have  played  an 
important  part  in  the  history  of  the  Republic.  For  a simi- 
lar reason,  we  chose  a route  but  little  traveled  on  our  return 
from  Santiago  to  Buenos  Aires.  This  was  by  way  of  south- 
ern Chile,  Lake  Naliuelhuapi,  the  desert  of  Neuquen,  and 
Bahia  Blanca.  By  thus  acting  we  were  able  to  make  ob- 
servations in  all  parts  of  the  country  from  the  Atlantic 
to  the  Andes,  from  the  Gran  Chaco  to  Patagonia. 

Our  itinerary  proved  to  be  so  satisfactory  in  every 
respect,  that,  if  we  had  to  make  the  same  journey  over 
again,  we  should  not  change  it  in  any  way  whatever. 

We  wished  particularly  to  see  as  much  as  possible 
of  the  Argentine  Pampa1 — that  immense  plain  which  ex- 

1 Pampa  is  a Quichua  word  meaning  a level,  treeless  plain  or  savanna.  It 
has  the  same  signification  as  the  Spanish  word  llano,  or  the  Russian  word 
steppe.  Thus  we  speak  of  the  steppes  of  Siberia,  or  the  llanos  of  Colombia  or 

173 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


tends  from  the  lowlands  of  the  Parana  to  the  foothills  of 
the  Andes,  and  from  the  morasses  drained  by  the  Bermejo 
on  the  north  to  the  arid  wastes  bordering  the  Rio  Negro 
on  the  south.  It  is  this  vast  plain  that  constitutes  the  most 
striking  feature  of  Argentina  and  which  is,  at  the  same 
time,  the  chief  source  of  its  vast  wealth  as  well  as  the  foun- 
dation of  its  future  predominant  position  among  the  re- 
publics of  South  America. 

We  saw  exactly  what  we  wished  to  see,  and  that,  too,  un- 
der the  most  favorable  auspices.  We  were  able  to  observe 
the  Pampa,  that  “great  ocean  of  land,  throughout  its  en- 
tire extent.  We  were,  likewise,  able  to  note  the  differences 
of  soil  and  climate  in  the  various  sections  of  this  immense 
region;  to  investigate,  on  the  spot,  the  divers  industries 
which  have  been  developed  where  the  conditions  were  most 
favorable.  And  over  and  above  all  this,  we  had  the  sat- 
isfaction of  knowing  that  we  were  traveling  over  historic 
ground — ground  made  famous  by  the  achievements  of  the 
Conquistadores  and  by  the  patriots  of  South  American 
independence.  In  visiting  Tucuman  and  Cordoba  we  were 
following  the  old  trade  route  between  Peru  and  La  Plata, 
and  were  brought  into  touch  with  the  descendants  of  sub- 
jects of  the  old  Inca  Empire  which  extended  from  Quito 
to  Santiago  del  Estero.  And  what  was  not  the  least  inter- 
esting to  all  of  us  in  this  far-off  northwest  corner  of  Argen- 
tina— so  long  isolated  from  the  outside  world,  although 
settled  shortly  after  the  conquest  of  Peru  and  Chile — was 
that  we  had  an  opportunity  of  familiarizing  ourselves  with 
the  peculiar  Spanish  manners  and  customs  of  early  colonial 
times,  and  of  living  in  an  atmosphere  redolent  of  the  heroic 
deeds  of  a storied  past. 

No  one  can  fail  to  be  impressed  by  the  aspect  of  the 
Pampa.  It  as  flat  and  as  monotonous  as  the  ocean,  and 

Venezuela.  When  referring  to  the  great  plain  of  Argentina,  English  writers 
generally  use  the  plural  of  the  word,  but  Spanish  writers  more  correctly  employ 
the  singular.  Hence  they  say  the  pampa,  not  the  pampas,  of  Argentina. 

174 


THE  ARGENTINE  PAMPA 


apparently  as  interminable.  Nowhere  is  there  even  a hil- 
lock, or  a rock,  large  or  small.  The  only  thing  to  relieve 
the  all-pervading  uniformity  of  the  landscape,  in  the  un- 
settled parts,  is  the  gnarly,  fantastic,  ombu  tree — useless, 
except  for  the  shade  it  affords — which  looks  as  if  it  had 
been  transplanted  from  the  suicides’  forest  in  Dante’s 
Inferno,  as  sketched  by  Dore.  To  the  poets  of  the  Pampa 
this  bizarre  product  of  nature  is  to  the  vast  plain  in  which 
it  grows  what  the  lighthouse  is  to  the  mariner — el  faro  de 
aquel  mar.  The  Gauchos  have  woven  many  stories  about 
this  tree,  and  in  most  tales  and  legends  about  the  plains 
it  is  sure  to  have  a conspicuous  place.  This  utter  absence 
of  trees  is  noted  more  particularly  in  the  grassy,  humid 
parts  of  the  Pampa  which  have  not  yet  been  occupied  by 
the  herdsman  or  the  agriculturist.  In  the  arid  plains  of 
its  western  part  one  finds  everywhere  low,  scrubby  trees 
and  thorny  bushes  resembling  the  mesquite  shrubs  of  Mex- 
ico. The  most  abundant  of  these  growths  is  the  chanar, 
and,  for  this  reason,  this  part  of  the  Pampa  is  sometimes 
called  the  chanar  steppe. 

This  singular  absence  of  arborescent  vegetation  in  a soil 
so  rich  and  productive  as  that  of  the  eastern  area  of  the 
Pampa  has  long  been  a great  puzzle  to  men  of  science. 
Darwin  surmised  that  it  was  due  to  the  pampero  or  south- 
west wind,  whose  extreme  violence  made  the  growth  of 
trees  impossible.  But  this  conjecture  has  been  proved 
to  be  unfounded  by  the  immense  number  of  lofty  eucalyp- 
tus trees  everywhere  visible  and  which  seem  to  find  here  a 
more  congenial  soil  than  in  their  original  habitat  in  Aus- 
tralia. Around  nearly  every  estanciero ’s  home  one  will  now 
find  a monte — a grove  of  eucalyptus,  paraiso  and  other 
trees  which  seem  to  flourish  as  well  as  in  any  other  part  of 
the  continent.  The  mystery,  then,  veiling  the  absence  of 
forest  growths  in  these  parts  seems  to  be  even  more  baffling 
than  in  the  case  of  our  prairies  in  the  western  United 
States. 


175 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Tlie  native  Pampean  grasses  usually  grow  in  tufts,  or 
tussocks,  and  some  species  of  them  attain  a height  of  seven 
or  eight  feet.  They  are  what  the  Spaniards  call  pastos 
duros — hard  grasses — and,  although  they  are  good  as  flesh- 
formers,  are  not  fattening.  But  these  pastos  duros  have, 
in  many  sections  of  the  country,  been  supplanted  by  the 
pastos  tiernos — soft  grasses — which  were  introduced  from 
Spain  by  the  early  colonists.  During  recent  years,  rich 
grasses  have  likewise  been  introduced  from  England  and 
other  parts  of  the  world.  These,  combined  with  alfalfa — 
which  is  also  a recent  introduction — and  the  propitious 
climate  make  the  Argentine  Pampa  the  best  grazing  coun- 
try in  the  world. 

One  will  see  but  few  wild  animals  as  he  traverses  the 
plains  of  Argentina.  They  have  been  decimated  or  exter- 
minated, as  have  been  the  bison,  the  wild  turkey  and  the 
passenger  pigeon  in  our  own  country.  But  some  of  those 
still  found  have  a peculiar  interest  to  the  visitor  from 
the  United  States,  because  they  are  entirely  different  from 
anything  we  have  in  our  own  country,  and  because,  also, 
they  are  the  distant  representatives  of  a fauna  of  the  geo- 
logic past — a fauna  that  was  extraordinary  not  only  for 
the  size  and  variety  of  many  of  its  component  types  but 
also  for  their  peculiarities  of  structure  and  bizarreness  of 
form. 

Among  the  representatives  of  these  age-old  types  is 
the  armadillo.  There  are  still  several  species  in  Argentina, 
but,  to  judge  from  the  fossil  remains  occurring  in  all  parts 
of  the  Pampa,  the  number  of  species  of  this  order  was 
formerly  much  greater  than  it  is  at  present.  The  first  one 
I saw  on  its  native  heath  was  a peludo,  or  hairy  armadillo. 
To  come  suddenly  upon  this  contemporary  of  the  giant 
glyptodon — an  animal  which  “Nature  seems  to  have  built 
for  eternity” — was  like  getting  a glimpse  of  the  fauna  of 
the  Pleistocene. 

Another  representative  of  an  archaic  group  is  the  rhea, 

176 


THE  ARGENTINE  PAMPA 


or  South  American  ostrich.  Like  the  armadillo,  which  car- 
ries us  back  to  a time  when  mammals  of  colossal  size 
roamed  the  plains,  so  also  the  rhea  transports  us  to  a 
period  when  there  were  also  giants  among  avians.  The 
first  time  one  of  the  members  of  our  expedition  tried  to 
secure  one  of  these  majestic  birds  for  our  collection  was 
in  northern  Patagonia.  But  the  fleet  rhea  was  too  wary 
for  him  and  soon  put  itself  far  beyond  the  range  of  the  best 
aimed  rifle. 

There  is,  probably,  no  country  in  the  world  so  rich  in 
fossils  of  giant  animals  as  the  Pampa  of  Argentina.  They 
are  found  everywhere.  Indeed,  this  part  of  the  continent 
was  the  home  par  excellence  of  the  megatherium,  the  toxo- 
don,  the  glyptodon,  the  mylodon,  as  our  Far  West  was  the 
favorite  habitat  of  other  strange  monsters  during  the  same 
period. 

There  is  no  place  where  the  fossil  remains  of  these 
strange  creatures  can  be  seen  to  better  advantage  than  in 
the  noble  museum  of  La  Plata — the  most  notable  institu- 
tion of  the  kind  in  South  America,  with  the  possible  excep- 
tion of  the  Museo  Nacional  in  Lima,  Peru.  This  is  par- 
ticularly remarkable  for  its  collection  of  Incaic  and  pre- 
Incaic  antiquities,  and  is  comparable,  in  a measure,  with 
the  celebrated  museum  of  Bulak,  in  Egypt.  That  of  La 
Plata,  while  rich  in  anthropological  specimens,  is  particu- 
larly interesting  for  its  very  complete  series  of  fossil  re- 
mains of  the  extraordinary  forms  of  life  which  peopled 
the  Pampa  during  the  Tertiary  and  Quaternary  epochs. 

Of  all  the  specimens  in  the  La  Plata  Museum,  the  one 
which  interested  me  most  was  that  of  the  mylodon.  My 
interest  was  aroused  not  so  much  by  the  peculiar  structure 
of  this  mammoth  sloth  as  by  the  fact  of  its  survival  until 
a very  recent  date.  Only  a few  years  ago,  Nordenskjold 
discovered,  in  a cave  in  southwestern  Patagonia,  a large 
piece  of  well-preserved  skin,  covered  with  greenish  brown 
hair  and  small,  bony  knobs,  which  was  recognized  as  the 

177 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


skin  of  tlie  mylodon.  There  is  reason  to  believe  that  this 
remarkable  animal  was  still  browsing  in  the  forests  of 
Patagonia  as  late  as  fifty  years  ago.  Indeed,  there  are 
naturalists  who  contend  that  this  giant  edentate  is  still 
living  in  some  of  the  caves  of  southern  Chile.  So  strong 
was  this  conviction,  as  late  as  1902,  that  an  expedition 
started  from  England,  whose  chief  object  was  to  search 
for  a living  mylodon.  And,  although  the  expedition  was 
unsuccessful  in  its  quest,  there  are  not  wanting  men  of 
science  who  continue  to  maintain  that  a living  mylodon 
will  yet  be  found  somewhere  in  the  forest  depths  of  south- 
ern Chile  or  Argentina. 

As  I contemplated  in  the  La  Plata  museum  the  fossil 
remains  of  the  extraordinary  fauna  which  inhabited  the 
plains  of  Argentina  during  the  recent  periods  of  geological 
history,  I saw,  in  fancy,  the  ponderous  forms  of  divers 
megatheroids  lumbering  over  the  Pampa  in  search  of  food. 
I beheld  giant,  sloth-like  quadrupeds,  as  large  as  elephants, 
pulling  down  the  branches  of  trees  and  tearing  up  shrubs 
by  their  roots  in  order  to  feed  on  their  leaves.  I observed 
the  giant  megalonyx,  with  its  enormous  claws;  the  huge 
glyptodon,  with  its  prodigious  carapace ; the  colossal  toxo- 
don  which,  according  to  Darwin,  was  “one  of  the  strangest 
animals  ever  discovered.”  And  I noted  many  other  species 
of  these  bulky  forms  of  mammalian  life  whose  nature  and 
affinities  are  still  a puzzle  to  men  of  science. 

But  all  at  once  they  disappeared  from  imagination  as 
they  had,  in  the  long  ago,  disappeared  from  the  grass- 
covered  Pampa.  What  was  the  cause  of  their  extinction? 
Was  it  some  wide-spread  cataclysm,  or  prolonged  drought, 
or  a glacial  climate?  Or  was  it  one  of  Nature’s  slow-acting 
checks,  of  which  we  are  yet  entirely  ignorant?  Many  at- 
tempts have  been  made  to  explain  this  mystery,  but  so  far 
none  of  them  have  proved  satisfactory.  Some  of  the  spe- 
cies named  seemed  destined  to  perpetuate  their  kind  for 
untold  generations.  The  glyptodon,  for  instance,  as  has 

178 


THE  ARGENTINE  PAMPA 


well  been  remarked,  seems  to  have  been  built  for  eternity. 
Failing  in  an  explanation  of  the  utter  extinction  of  the 
remarkable  fauna  which  we  have  been  considering,  we  can 
only  declare  with  Darwin:  “Certainly  no  fact  in  the  long 
history  of  the  world  is  so  startling  as  the  wide  and  re- 
peated extermination  of  its  inhabitants.”1 

I have  said,  in  a preceding  page,  that  it  is  the  Pampa 
which,  during  ages  long  past,  nourished  so  marvelous  a 
fauna,  that  is  the  source  of  the  wealth  and  prosperity  of 
Argentina.  It  is  the  Pampa  that  supplies  the  necessary 
pabulum  for  the  countless  flocks  and  herds  which  roam 
over  its  vast  expanse.  It  is  the  Pampa  with  its  rich,  allu- 
vial soil  that  is  now  one  of  the  principal  sources  of  the 
world’s  food  supply,  as  well  as  certain  kinds  of  raw  ma- 
terial of  great  commercial  value. 

When  the  Spaniards  first  went  to  South  America  they 
found  there  none  of  the  domestic  animals  that  are  now  so 
numerous  in  every  part  of  the  continent.  There  were  no 
horses,  cattle,  sheep,  asses,  mules,  swine,  goats,  cats  or 
dogs,  nor  any  of  our  domestic  fowls.  There  was  no  wheat, 
rye,  oats,  barley,  rice,  millet,  or  other  cereals  so  common 
in  Europe;  no  flax,  lucerne,  or  sugar-cane;  no  oranges, 
lemons,  olives,  grapes,  apples,  peaches,  pears,  figs,  or  cof- 
fee— all  now  so  familiar  to  us  in  the  north.  Nor  were  there 
any  of  those  numerous  vegetables  which  are  everywhere 
cultivated  in  our  fields  and  gardens  and  which  contribute 
so  much  to  our  means  of  subsistence.  But,  with  the  ad- 
vent of  the  Conquistadores  and  the  colonists  from  Spain, 
all  this  was  changed.  Now  all  the  domestic  animals,  all 
the  cereals,  fruits  and  vegetables  prized  in  the  Old  World 
are  found  in  South  America,  and  in  no  part  of  it  in  greater 
numbers  and  abundance,  or  of  better  quality  than  in  the 
Pampa  of  Argentina. 

1 Journal  of  Researches  into  the  Natural  History  and  Geology  of  the  Coun- 
tries Visited  during  the  Voyage  of  H.  M.  S.  “Beagle”  round  the  World.  Chap. 

VIII. 


179 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Horses  were  introduced  into  the  Plata  region  by  Pedro 
de  Mendoza,  the  founder  of  Buenos  Aires.  According  to 
his  capitulation  with  the  Spanish  Crown,  he  was  required, 
among  other  things,  to  take  with  him  to  the  country  he  was 
to  colonize  no  fewer  than  a hundred  horses.  Many  of  these 
were  for  the  use  of  his  soldiers,  but  others  were  destined 
for  breeding  purposes.1 

It  was  from  these  animals  that  sprang  those  countless 
thousands  of  horses  which,  a few  decades  later,  covered  the 
Pampa  from  the  Paraguay  in  the  north  to  the  Rio  Colorado 
in  the  south.  There  were  everywhere  “droves  of  wander- 
ing horses,”  writes  the  famous  missionary  Padre  Dobriz- 
hoffer,  ‘ ‘ of  which  any  person  may  catch  as  many  as  he  likes, 
and  make  them  his  own  property.  Some  horsemen,  within 
a few  days,  bring  home  more  than  a thousand  horses  from 
the  plain.  ...  A horse  of  this  kind,  of  either  sex,  when 
brought  from  the  country,  and  before  it  is  accustomed  to 
the  saddle  and  bridle,  is  sometimes  bought  for  ten  or  thir- 
teen cruitzers.  The  colts  of  the  mares  are  given  gratis  to 
the  purchasers.”  2 

Padre  Falkner,  who  labored  as  a missionary  among  the 
Indians  of  Patagonia  from  1740  to  1767,  declares:  “In  an 
inland  expedition  which  I made  in  1744,  being  in  these 
plains  for  the  space  of  three  weeks,  they” — the  horses — 
“were  in  such  vast  numbers  that,  during  a fortnight,  they 
continually  surrounded  me.  Sometimes  they  passed  by  me 

1 Herrera,  Antonio  de.  ‘ * Historia  General  de  los  Hechos  de  los  Castellanos 
en  las  Islas  y Tierra  Firme  del  Mar  Oceano.  ” Dec.  V.,  Cap.  X.,  Madrid,  1728. 

2 “An  Account  of  the  Abipones,  an  Equestrian  People  of  Paraguay,”  Vol. 
I,  page  224-25,  London,  1822.  A German  missionary,  Father  Anthony  Sepp, 
writing  from  Buenos  Aires,  in  1691,  declares  that  there  “provisions  are  dog 
cheap.  An  ox,  or  rather  to  speak  more  properly,  a fat  cow — for  they  don ’t 
value  the  flesh  of  oxen — they  buy  for  two  Beales  de  Plate — or  ten  or  twelve 
pence;  a good  horse  for  two  shillings  and  for  less,  because  I have  seen  two 
good  horses  given  for  a knife  not  worth  sixpence  in  Germany,  and  a good  ox 
for  a few  needles.”  “An  Account  of  a Voyage  from  Spain  to  Paraguaria, ” in 
Churchill’s  “Collection  of  Voyages  and  Travels,”  Vol.  IV,  p.  608.  London, 
1732. 


180 


THE  ARGENTINE  PAMPA 


in  thick  troops  on  full  speed  for  two  or  three  hours  to- 
gether, during  which  time  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty 
that  I and  the  four  Indians  who  accompanied  me  on  this 
occasion  preserved  ourselves  from  being  run  over  and 
trampled  to  pieces  by  them.”  1 

During  this  period,  the  cattle  that  had  sprung  from 
those  which  had  been  introduced  by  the  earliest  Spanish 
colonists  were  exceedingly  numerous.  Those  that  had  been 
turned  loose  on  the  Pampa,  during  its  first  occupancy  by 
the  Spaniards,  multiplied  in  a geometrical  ratio,  and,  in  a 
few  generations,  they  roamed  in  immense  herds  all  over  the 
country.  So  great  were  their  numbers  in  the  early  part  of 
the  eighteenth  century  in  the  Pampa  that  “travelers 
were,”  according  to  Dobrizhoffer,  “obliged  to  send  horse- 
men before  them  to  clear  the  way,  by  driving  away  the 
beasts  which  stood  threatening  them  with  their  horns.”  It 
is,  therefore,  no  wonder  that  at  that  time  a full-grown  ox 
was  sold  for  five  groschen — a real  de  plata  2— as  appears 
from  the  old  books  of  valuations.  Every  Spaniard  who 
intended  to  enlarge  his  estate  hired  a troop  of  horsemen, 
who  brought  him  eight,  ten,  or  more  thousands  of  cows 
and  bulls  from  the  country,  within  a few  weeks.3 

There  were  then  estancieros  who  had  herds  of  a hundred 
thousand  cattle.  Such  a herd  today  would  make  its  owner 
a millionaire.  At  that  time  the  animals  were  valuable 
chiefly  for  their  hides,  tongues  and  tallow.  Indeed,  the  hide 
of  an  ox,  on  account  of  the  labor  involved  in  preparing  it 
for  the  market,  was  worth  more  than  the  animal  itself. 
Hides  were  then  used  for  everything.  Besides  those  ex- 
ported to  Europe  for  manufacturing  purposes,  they  were 
in  the  treeless  Pampa  used  for  making  houses,  fences, 
ropes,  trunks,  saddles,  beds,  and,  in  the  absence  of  bags 

1 “ A Description  of  Patagonia  and  the  Adjoining  Parts  of  South  Amer- 
ica,” p.  39.  Hereford,  1774. 

1 About  a shilling  of  our  money. 

3 Op.  cit.,  Vol.  I,  p.  218. 


181 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


and  boxes,  for  the  shipment  of  such  commodities  as 
wheat,  cotton,  sugar,  tobacco,  yerba  mate,  and  many  other 
things. 

The  carcasses  of  the  animals,  which  would  have  suf- 
ficed, we  are  informed,  “to  feed  a numerous  army  in  Eu- 
rope,” were  “left  on  the  plain  to  be  devoured  by  tigers, 
wild  dogs  and  ravens.”  There  was  then  no  foreign  market 
for  this  valuable  beef  and  there  was,  apparently,  no  at- 
tempt made  to  create  one.  And  tliis  “blind  rage”  of  the 
Spaniards  for  killing  all  the  oxen  they  could  lay  hands  on 
continued  for  a whole  century.  How  many  animals  were 
slaughtered  during  this  time,  and  how  much  valuable  food- 
stuff sacrificed,  it  is  impossible  to  estimate.  Probably 
never  before  was  there  such  an  exhibition  of  wanton  waste 
on  so  great  a scale  and  for  so  long  a period.  Only  the 
splendid  climate  and  the  rich  pastures  of  the  Pampa  could, 
for  so  long  a time,  have  supplied  the  untold  myriads  of 
cattle  which  were  sacrificed  through  the  cupidity  of  men 
who  had  no  thought  of  the  future. 

The  first  merino  sheep  were  introduced  into  the  Pampa 
from  Peru.  This  was  in  1550.  Nineteen  years  later,  Don 
Juan  Ortiz  de  Zarate  made  arrangements  for  the  importa- 
tion of  four  thousand  merinos  into  the  Plata  region. 
Thenceforward  the  increase  in  the  number  of  sheep  was 
fully  as  remarkable  as  that  of  horses  and  cattle.  But  like 
the  horses  and  cattle,  they  gradually  deteriorated  for  lack 
of  new  blood  and  proper  care. 

The  foregoing  facts  show  that  the  climate  and  pastures 
of  the  Pampa  are  singularly  adapted  to  pastoral  industry. 
Indeed,  all  things  considered,  there  is  probably  no  country 
in  the  world  where  the  outlook  for  stock  raising  is  more 
promising  than  in  Argentina.  But  this  is  not  due  solely  to 
soil  and  climate.  It  is  in  a great  measure  owing  to  the 
enterprise  of  the  estancieros,  and  to  their  adoption  of 
scientific  methods  in  cross-breeding,  and  to  their  sparing 
no  labor  or  expense  to  secure  the  best  results. 

182 


THE  ARGENTINE  PAMPA 


It  is,  however,  only  within  the  last  half  century  that 
the  pastoral  industry  in  the  Pampas  has  been  placed  on 
a proper  basis.  Previously  only  a limited  number  of  es- 
tancieros  recognized  the  necessity  of  changing  the  methods 
of  their  forefathers  in  stock-raising  if  they  wished  to  keep 
pace  with  their  competitors  in  other  parts  of  the  world. 
But,  during  the  last  few  decades  stockmen  generally  have 
awakened  to  the  fact  that  if  they  wish  to  secure  a market 
for  their  beef,  wool  and  hides  they  must  adopt  the  same 
methods  of  cross-breeding  that  have  been  so  successful  in 
Europe  and  the  United  States.  The  result  of  this  awaken- 
ing has  been  astonishing.  For  nowhere  in  the  Old  or  the 
New  World  is  greater  care  now  given  to  scientific  breeding 
or  to  the  proper  care  of  blooded  stock  than  in  the  great 
estancias  which  are  now  found  in  every  part  of  the  Pampa. 
Nowhere  are  there  more  superb  specimens  of  thoroughbred 
horses,  cattle  and  sheep  than  in  Argentina,  and  nowhere 
is  their  number  more  rapidly  increasing. 

The  reason  is  not  far  to  seek.  As  soon  as  the  Argentine 
realized  that  there  was  extra  money  in  blooded  stock— 
he  is  as  fond  of  the  almighty  dollar  as  his  Yankee  brother 
of  the  north — and  that  intelligent  cross-breeding  immensely 
enhances  the  beauty  of  an  animal — and  no  one,  not  even 
an  Arab,  takes  more  delight  in  a beautiful,  high-spirited 
horse  than  does  the  estanciero  of  the  Pampa — he  at 
once  resolved  to  have  the  best  that  money  could  buy  or 
well-directed  industry  could  secure.  Hence  it  is  that  one 
finds  in  Argentina  some  of  the  most  celebrated  thorough- 
breds in  the  world — noted  winners  of  Ascot  Cups  and 
favorite  steeds  of  sovereigns.  Thus,  “the  triple  crown 
hero,  Diamond  Jubilee,”  of  the  late  Edward  VII  became 
the  property  of  an  Argentine  horse-lover.  He  paid  $150,000 
for  the  animal,  but  he  considered  it  cheap  at  this  price. 
So,  likewise,  does  the  stockman  of  the  Pampa  aim  to  secure 
the  best  of  prize  cattle  and  sheep,  regardless  of  price.  He 
will  not  hesitate  to  pay  $10,000,  and  more,  for  a single  ram, 

183 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


if  it  takes  his  fancy,  for  be  is  sure  that  be  will  soon  get  bis 
money  back  in  better  wool  and  mutton. 

Today,  Argentina  is  the  greatest  sheep-producing  coun- 
try in  the  world,  except,  probably,  Australia.  In  horses 
and  cattle  it  is  rapidly  becoming  a strong  competitor  of 
Russia  and  the  United  States.  And,  when  one  considers 
that  but  a small  part  of  the  territory  available  for  grazing 
purposes  is  in  actual  use  by  stockmen,  one  can  realize  what 
an  enormous  increase  there  is  sure  to  be  in  the  pastoral 
industry  of  this  part  of  the  world,  when  the  vast  areas, 
still  unoccupied,  will  be  covered  with  teeming  flocks  and 
herds.  It  will  help  one  to  estimate  what  the  future  holds 
in  this  respect,  when  one  learns  that  the  best  grasslands 
of  the  Pampas  afford  sustenance  for  no  fewer  than  sixty 
sheep  per  acre. 

For  the  lover  of  pedigreed  horses,  there  is  no  more 
interesting  place  than  a large,  up-to-date  estancia  in  the 
Pampa.  Here  are  assembled  troops  of  magnificent  horses 
of  every  breed,  and  from  every  country — Arabian  saddle- 
horses,  Russian  Orloffs,  British  racers  and  Clydesdales; 
American  trotters,  French  Percherons,  German  Oldenburgs, 
and  numerous  others.  In  a neighboring  estancia,  where 
the  owner  specializes  in  pure-blood  cattle,  there  are  select 
herds  of  Jerseys,  Holsteins,  Durliams,  Herefords,  Polled 
Angus — Mochos — and  representatives  of  still  other  noted 
breeds  imported  from  England,  Holland  and  Germany. 
In  yet  another  estancia  there  are  wonderful  herds  of  the 
best  breeds  of  sheep — merinos  from  Spain,  Lincolns, 
Leicesters  and  Oxford  Downs  from  England  and  Ram- 
bouillets  from  France. 

All  these  full-blooded  animals  are  frequently  crossed 
with  the  criollo,  or  native  stocks,  and  after  eight  crosses 
their  descendants  are  registered  in  stud  and  herd-books  as 
pedigreed  animals — puros  por  mestization. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  observe  that  these  valuable 
animals  are  not  huddled  together  in  shelterless  corrals,  as 

184 


THE  ARGENTINE  PAMPA 


were  the  criollos  of  a few  decades  ago.  Far  from  it.  They 
are  provided  with  clean  and  sanitary  stables  and  stalls, 
and  are  constantly  looked  after  by  expert  stockmen,  as  well 
as  by  their  owner  to  whom  they  are  as  the  apple  of  his  eye. 

I once  had  a long  conversation  with  a wealthy  estan- 
ciero  of  the  Pampa,  who  was  the  owner  of  many  of  the 
finest  breeds  of  imported  stock.  He  was  also  the  father  of 
a large  number  of  children,  to  whom  he  was  particularly 
devoted.  I soon  discovered  that  there  were  only  two  sub- 
jects which  really  interested  him,  and  of  which  he  never 
tired  talking — his  children  and  his  pet  animals  on  the 
estancia.  Whenever  they  were  referred  to,  he  at  once 
waxed  eloquent.  His  children,  in  his  estimation,  were  the 
best  in  the  world,  and  his  horses,  cattle  and  sheep  were 
the  best  of  their  kind.  But  I was  at  times  almost  in  doubt 
as  to  which  most  occupied  his  thoughts  and  affections — his 
noble  sons  and  daughters,  or  his  wonderful  thoroughbreds 
in  stable  and  paddock.  And  he  was  only  a type  of  his  fel- 
low estancieros.  For  it  can  be  said  with  truth  that  nowhere 
can  one  find  men  who  are  fonder  of  beautiful  thoroughbred 
animals  than  are  the  estancieros  of  the  Pampa. 

It  is  but  little  more  than  a generation  since  the  pastoral 
industry  of  Argentina  lias  assumed  international  impor- 
tance. Formerly,  as  we  have  seen,  the  chief  value  of  the 
flocks  and  herds  of  the  country  was  in  their  wool  and  hides. 
Now  it  is  rather  in  their  frozen  or  chilled  carcasses,  which 
find  a ready  market  in  Europe  and  which  are  beginning  to 
be  in  demand  in  the  United  States  as  well.  This  change 
of  relative  values  is  shown  by  the  increasing  number  of 
huge  saladeros  and  frigorificos  which  are  springing  up 
near  all  the  great  ports  of  Argentina  and  in  which  count- 
less thousands  of  tons  of  beef  and  mutton  are  prepared  for 
the  markets  of  the  world.  The  single  fact  that  Argentina  is 
now  able  to  supply  beef  and  mutton  of  as  good  quality  as 
that  produced  in  the  United  States,  and  to  compete  with 
the  great  packing-houses  of  Chicago  and  Omaha  in  the 

185 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


markets  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia  is  convincing  proof 
of  the  crowning  success  of  the  estancieros  as  stock-breeders 
and  of  their  enterprise  as  men  of  business.  The  pastoral 
industry  of  Argentina,  in  so  far  as  it  affects  the  commerce 
of  nations,  has,  as  yet,  been  little  more  than  inaugurated. 
What  will  it  be  fifty  years  hence,  when  the  untold  millions 
of  acres  of  pasturage,  now  vacant,  shall  be  dotted  with 
myriads  of  other  fattening  flocks  and  herds  of  as  good  qual- 
ity as  any  that  now  roam  the  fertile,  grass-grown  Pampa. 
The  giant  strides  made  during  the  last  few  years  in  this 
all-important  industry  must  supply  the  answer. 

But  if  pastoral  products  are  great,  the  fruits  of  agricul- 
ture are  greater.  This  is  remarkable,  for  it  is  scarcely  a 
half-century  since  Argentina  entered  upon  its  present 
period  of  economic  development.  In  1861  the  entire  popu- 
lation of  the  Republic  was  less  than  half  of  that  of  Chicago 
of  today.  Little,  for  various  reasons,  could  then  be  done 
towards  the  cultivation  of  the  soil.  But  then  the  tide  of 
immigration  began  to  flow  towards  the  Plata  region,  and 
increased  in  volume  so  rapidly  that  in  a single  year — 1906 
— nearly  two  hundred  thousand  Europeans  entered  the 
country.  A large  proportion  of  these  were  day  laborers 
from  Spain  and  Italy — just  the  class  of  men  who  were 
needed  for  cultivating  the  rich  acres  of  the  Pampa.  By 
1907  the  population  of  the  Republic  exceeded  six  millions. 
The  area  of  land  under  cultivation  had  increased  in  like 
ratio.  Railroads,  which  were  almost  non-existent  a half- 
century  ago,  rapidly  formed  a network  all  over  the  Pampa, 
until  now  their  mileage  far  exceeds  that  of  any  other  Latin- 
American  republic.  These  encouraged  the  immigrants  to 
establish  homes  in  the  fertile  plain  and  assured  them  of 
an  outlet  for  their  produce. 

The  result  was  phenomenal.  Until  1878,  the  agricul- 
tural products  of  the  country  barely  sufficed  for  home 
consumption.  After  that  date — thanks  to  railroads  and 
immigrant  labor — the  increase  in  the  amount  of  cereals 

186 


Estancia  Pereyra  Iraola,  near  Buenos  Aires. 


Harvesting  Wheat  in  the  Pasipa. 


THE  ARGENTINE  PAMPA 


yielded  by  tlie  Pampa  was  so  great  that  Argentina  soon 
took  rank  as  one  of  the  chief  exporters  of  these  important 
foodstuffs. 

I need  advert  to  only  two  facts  to  show  the  marvelous 
progress  Argentina  has  made  in  agriculture  in  little  more 
than  a single  generation.  The  first  of  these  facts  is  that 
only  forty  years  have  elapsed  since  Argentina  was  obliged 
to  import  wheat  and  flour  from  the  United  States  for  the 
use  of  her  own  people.  The  second  is  that  this  same  pro- 
gressive country,  in  addition  to  providing  for  her  own 
wants,  now  actually  exports  more  wheat  than  the  United 
States. 

This  extraordinary  producing  capacity  is  continually 
increasing  and  is  sure  to  increase  for  many  years  to  come. 
And  this  for  several  reasons.  In  the  first  place,  only  about 
a fourth  of  the  cereal-bearing  lands  are  yet  under  cultiva- 
tion. Then  there  is  the  wonderful  richness  of  the  soil.  In 
many  parts  of  the  country  the  land  is  so  fertile  that  it  is 
capable  of  producing  the  same  abundant  harvest  for  twenty 
or  more  years  in  succession  without  the  use  of  fertilizers 
of  any  kind.  Nor  is  it  necessary,  as  elsewhere,  to  allow  the 
land  to  lie  fallow  for  a while,  or  to  resort  to  the  expedient 
of  rotation  of  crops.  In  the  northern  part  of  the  Republic, 
two  crops  a year  are  frequently  yielded. 

Nowhere  will  one  find  a deeper  soil  than  in  the  rich, 
alluvial  areas  which  are  drained  by  the  Parana  and  the 
Paraguay.  This  is  particularly  true  of  that  wonderful 
region — known  as  the  Argentine  Mesopotamia — located  be- 
tween the  Parana  and  the  Uruguay.  It  is  fully  as  pro- 
ductive as  was  the  famous  land  between  the  Tigris  and  the 
Euphrates  in  the  heyday  of  its  glory  and  prosperity.  No- 
where in  South  America,  not  even  in  the  broad  valleys  of 
the  Meta,  the  Orinoco,  or  the  Amazon  have  I seen  rich  al- 
luvial deposits  of  greater  depth  and  extent.  Judging  by 
the  yield  of  the  land  already  under  cultivation,  the  soil  of 
Argentina  will  eventually  be  able  to  supply  a great  part  of 

187 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Europe  with  foodstuffs.  And,  unless  present  indications 
are  misleading,  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  the  splendid 
grazing-lands  of  Argentina  will  be  nourishing  fifty  million 
cattle  and  two  hundred  million  sheep ; when  they  will  export 
more  cereals  and  frozen  meat  than  any  other  two  countries 
combined.  Then  will  Argentina’s  ambition  to  be  the  food 
producer  of  the  world  be  realized.  Then,  too,  will  her  rich 
plains  deserve  the  name  that  lias  often  been  applied  to 
them — Fields  of  Gold. 

I must  not,  however,  fail  to  note  certain  pernicious 
agencies  which  beset  Argentina’s  advance  and  prosperity. 
These  are  drought,  locusts,  and  a noxious  system  of  lati- 
f undid. 

Droughts  are  periodic  and  frequently  entail  enormous 
loss  and  suffering.  The  Gran  Seco,  which  lasted  from  1827 
to  1832,  was  probably  the  worst  visitation  of  the  kind  which 
the  country  ever  experienced.  During  this  terrible  period, 
when  streams  failed  and  springs  went  dry,  when  vegetation 
down  to  the  thistle  was  destroyed,  when  “birds,  wild  ani- 
mals, cattle  and  horses  perished  from  want  of  water  . . . 
the  lowest  estimation,”  according  to  Darwin,  “of  the  loss 
of  cattle  in  Buenos  Aires  alone  was  taken  at  one  million 
head.”1  Fortunately,  the  Republic  embraces  such  an  im- 
mense area  that  the  drought  never  affects  the  whole  of  it 
at  any  one  time,  and  the  loss  to  the  nation,  in  its  entirety, 
is  not  so  ruinous  as  it  would  be  otherwise.  Then  there  are 
also  those  magnificent  rivers  which  supply  the  inhabitants 
with  the  means  of  irrigating  those  parts  of  the  country 
where  water  is  most  needed. 

Another  formidable  foe  to  the  agriculturist  is  the  lo- 
custs, which  belong  to  the  species  known  as  the  Acridium 
Paranense ? This  terrible  scourge  does  incalculably  more 
damage  than  the  Rocky  Mountain  locusts — the  so-called 
“hateful  grasshoppers”  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  They 

1 Op.  cit.,  Chap.  VIII. 

2 Also  known  as  La  Langosta  Argentina. 

188 


THE  ARGENTINE  PAMPA 


are  far  more  numerous  and  their  devastating  passage 
through  the  country  is  comparable  only  with  that  of  those 
locusts  of  Egypt,  in  the  time  of  Moses,  of  which  it  is  said 
“that  they  covered  the  face  of  the  whole  earth,”  and  that, 
after  their  invasion,  “there  remained  not  any  green  thing 
in  the  trees,  or  in  the  herbs  of  the  fields,  through  all  the 
land  of  Egypt.” 

This  sounds  like  the  language  of  hyperbole,  but  the 
words  quoted  accurately  describe  the  widespread  devasta- 
tion wrought  by  the  dread  Acridium  Paranense  in  the  broad 
Pampa  of  Argentina.  These  destructive  insects,  coming, 
apparently,  from  the  Gran  Chaco,  fly  in  immense  swarms, 
miles  in  extent.  Swarm  succeeds  swarm  for  many  days  in 
succession,  and  when  they  have  passed,  the  plants  and  trees 
in  their  course  are  stripped  of  foliage  and  the  fruits  of  the 
husbandman’s  labor  are  a total  loss. 

Fortunately  for  the  inhabitants  of  the  Pampa  this  dread 
plague  is  intermittent,  and  several  years  usually  intervene 
between  one  visitation  and  another.  The  Government  has 
for  years  been  devising  means  of  defense  against  this 
periodic  visitant,  but  so  far  its  efforts  have  been  only  par- 
tially successful. 

The  third  great  impediment  to  progress  is  the  latifun- 
dia,  which  for  centuries  have  weighed  on  the  country  like 
an  incubus  and  paralyzed  initiative  on  the  part  of  count- 
less thousands  of  industrious  homeseekers.  The  greater 
part  of  the  country  is  in  the  hands  of  a few  wealthy  land- 
owners  and  syndicates.  Their  holdings  run  from  ten  to  a 
hundred  thousand  acres.  In  many  cases,  they  are  much 
larger.  Such  vast  estates  are  almost  feudal  in  character 
and  are  as  detrimental  to  the  development  of  the  Republic 
as  were  the  intolerable  conditions  in  Ireland  previous  to 
the  land  law  of  1898,  which  hastened  the  end  of  the  age- 
long struggle  between  the  tenant  and  the  landlord.  Ar- 
gentina has,  for  more  than  half  a century,  been  striving 
to  increase  the  number  of  immigrants  to  her  shores,  but  the 

189 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


existence  of  the  immense  estates  in  question  makes  coloni- 
zation as  difficult  as  it  is  unsatisfactory.  The  result  is  that 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  industrious  immigrants,  failing 
to  secure  land  where  they  could  establish  a home,  have  re- 
turned to  the  land  of  their  birth.  This  has  been  true  par- 
ticularly of  immigrants  from  Spain  and  Italy.  Had  they 
been  encouraged  by  something  like  our  homestead  laws,  or 
had  they  even  been  able  to  purchase  a suitable  property 
where  they  could  readily  market  their  produce,  the  popula- 
tion of  Argentina  would  be  much  larger  than  it  now  is,  and 
her  prosperity  correspondingly  greater.  It  was,  in  the 
judgment  of  Pliny,  the  creation  of  vast  estates  that  eventu- 
ally led  to  the  downfall  of  Borne — latifundia  perdidere 
Italiam  et  provincias.1 

But,  while  the  existence  of  large  estates  in  Argentina 
retards  progress  by  excluding  the  small  farmer  who  is,  in 
every  country,  a prime  factor  in  the  creation  of  its  wealth 
and  greatness,  there  is  no  reason  to  apprehend  the  dire 
consequences  which  the  latifundia  have  so  frequently  en- 

1 The  Argentine  writers,  Albert  B.  Martinez  and  Maurice  Lewandowski,  in 
their  recent  work,  “ The  Argentine  in  the  Twentieth  Century,”  express  them- 
selves on  this  subject  as  follows: 

“Far  from  encouraging  the  promotion  of  a class  of  small  landowners,  the 
State  has  assisted  in  the  establishment  of  enormous  holdings,  which  are  the 
chief  obstacle  to  the  peopling  of  the  country.  In  place  of  dividing  into  small 
allotments,  accessible  to  modest  fortunes,  the  great  stretches  of  lands  near  the 
railways  or  the  ports,  and  offering  them  for  sale  at  low  prices  in  the  European 
communities  from  which  a number  of  immigrants  come  each  year,  as  is  done 
by  the  United  States,  Australia  and  Canada,  the  Argentine  administration  has 
subjected  all  the  operations  of  purchase  to  long  and  wearisome  formalities 
which  quickly  exhaust  both  the  savings  and  the  patience  of  the  purchaser. 

“Argentine,  then,  if  she  wishes  to  solve  this  vital  problem  of  colonization, 
which  is  for  her  the  problem  of  immigration,  must  give  careful  thought  to  the 
adoption  of  some  well-devised  scheme,  with  the  object  of  subdividing  the  pres- 
ent great  parcels  of  land  and  of  attaching  the  agriculturist  to  the  land  he  tills, 
by  allowing  him  to  become  its  owner.  Without  this  necessary  reform,  the  coun- 
try will  continue  to  experience  the  phenomenon  of  temporary  immigration;  the 
immigration  of  men  who  return  to  their  own  countries  as  soon  as  they  have 
been  able  to  save  a little  money;  a process  exceedingly  prejudicial  to  the  best 
interests  of  the  country.”  Fourth  Edition,  p.  121.  Boston,  n.  d. 

190 


THE  ARGENTINE  PAMPA 


tailed  in  other  parts  of  the  world.  The  large  families 
which  are  everywhere  found  in  the  Argentine  are  sure 
to  preclude  such  disastrous  results,  for  the  property  of 
the  father  is  subdivided  on  his  death  among  his  nu- 
merous progeny,  and  it  is,  therefore,  only  a question  of 
a short  time  until  the  large  estates,  against  which  there 
is  now  so  much  opposition,  will,  by  continuous  sub- 
division, give  place  to  smaller  properties,  or  be  parceled 
out  among  small  farmers  like  those  in  France  and  the 
United  States.  ' 

One  always  associates  the  Pampa  with  that  interesting 
and  picturesque  character,  the  Gaucho.  Around  him  is 
woven  all  the  romance  of  the  Argentine  plain.  He  is  the 
hero  of  innumerable  songs  and  legends.  Having  both  Span- 
ish and  Indian  blood  in  his  veins,  he  is  the  embodiment  of 
the  daring  and  endurance  of  the  aborigine,  and  all  the 
bravery  and  loyalty  of  the  Castilian.  He  is  preeminently 
a lover  of  the  simple,  as  well  as  of  the  strenuous  life. 
Naturally  averse  to  city  life,  his  home  is  on  the  Pampa 
among  cattle  and  horses.  He  is  satisfied  with  a small  adobe 
hut  and  the  most  primitive  of  furniture.  His  favorite  diet 
is  came  con  cuero — beef  broiled  with  the  hide.  If  he  has 
an  abundance  of  this,  he  is  willing  to  do  without  bread, 
vegetables  and  even  salt.  With  beef  to  eat  and  mate  to 
drink,  his  capacity  for  labor  and  resistance  to  fatigue  are 
incredible.  He  spends  most  of  the  time  in  the  saddle  and 
sleeps  beside  his  horse  wherever  darkness  may  overtake 
him.  His  apparel  consists  of  a broad-brimmed  hat,  a 
chiripa,  which  is  a kind  of  poncho  covering  the  greater 
part  of  the  body  and  worn  over  a pair  of  white  drawers, 
or  a loose  kind  of  baggy  trousers — bombachas — which  are 
buttoned  at  the  ankle.  His  weapons  are  a machete,  kept 
in  a tirador,  a broad  belt,  usually  adorned  with  silver  coins, 
a lasso,  and  a boleadora.  The  last  named  article  of  his 
equipment  consists  of  three  boletas,  or  balls  of  metal  or 
stone,  which  are  connected  by  thongs,  one  of  which  is  held 

191 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


in  tlie  hand,  and  so  hurled  as  to  entangle  the  legs  of  the 
animal  at  which  it  is  aimed. 

The  only  luxury  the  Gaucho  permits  himself  is  the  orna- 
mental trappings  of  his  horse.  These  are  gayly  decked  with 
silver,  which  is  always  carefully  polished.  Both  horse  and 
housing  are  ever  the  objects  of  his  assiduous  attention  and 
both  are  intimately  associated  with  the  chief  joys  of  his 
wild  and  roaming  existence. 

Like  the  Llaneros  of  Venezuela  and  Colombia,  the  Gua- 
clio  is  a lover  of  music  and  poetry.  It  is  his  delight,  after 
the  toil  of  the  day,  to  spend  a part  of  the  evening  in  danc- 
ing and  singing,  to  the  accompaniment  of  the  guitar;  or 
in  reciting  ballads,  or  rhymed  romances  composed  by  him- 
self, or  some  other  hi  jo  del  pais.  He  may  be  unable  to 
read  or  write,  but  he  often  has  remarkable  powers  of  im- 
provisation and  he  and  his  associates  are  frequently,  like 
Neapolitans  and  Sicilians,  “ cant  are  pares  et  respondere 
parotid’  Many  of  the  songs  and  ballads  of  the  Gauchos 
have  been  collected  and  published,  and,  like  the  trovas 
llaneras  of  the  minstrels  of  the  plains  north  of  the  Orinoco, 
reveal  considerable  beauty  and  depth  of  sentiment.1  Lack 
of  space  precludes  my  giving  more  than  a couple  of  speci- 
mens of  the  quaint  melopoeias  of  the  Pampean  payador,  or 
trouvere.  They  are  usually  found  in  the  facile  meter  of 
the  old  Spanish  Romancer o,  and  are  simple  relaciones, 
either  heroic  or  sentimental,  of  wars  of  long  ago,  of  ven- 
turous expeditions  on  the  Pampa  or  of  the  sorrows  and 
tragedies  of  unrequited  love. 

When  two  rival  payadores  have  a poetical  tournament, 
they  exhibit  the  same  boastful  spirit  that  is  so  characteris- 
tic of  the  heroes  of  Homer.  With  his  guitar  across  his 
knees,  one  of  the  improvisatori  sings : 

“Alguien  que  la  echa  de  guapo, 

Y en  lo  fiero  queda  atras, 

1 Cf . the  author’s  “Up  the  Orinoco  and  Down  the  Magdalena,’’  p.  210  et 
seq.  New  York  and  London,  1910. 


192 


THE  ARGENTINE  PAMPA 


Es  poncho  de  poco  trapo, 

Purito  flaco  no  mas.  ’ ’ 1 

His  competitor,  continuing  the  cantilena  in  the  same  sar- 
castic and  defiant  style,  promptly  retorts : 

“Naides  con  la  vaina  sola 
A1  buen  G audio  ha  de  correr: 

Lazito  de  tanta  armada 
Nunca  ha  voltiao  la  res.”2 

Some  of  the  poetical  effusions  of  the  Gaucho  trouveres, 
especially  of  those  of  Santiago  del  Estero,  have  all  the  sen- 
timent and  sadness  of  the  best  Quiclraa  Yavaris.3  The  fol- 
lowing two  strophes  of  a madrigal,  which  begins  on  the 

1 He  who  acts  the  braggart,  and,  at  the  time  of  danger  remains  behind,  is 
a poncho  of  very  poor  stuff — all  fringe  and  nothing  more. 

2 Nobody  can  put  me  to  flight,  in  showing  me  but  the  sheath  of  his  knife; 
the  lazo,  which  has  so  large  a swing,  never  upsets  the  steer. 

The  Argentines  have  a touching  legend  about  a poetical  tournament 
between  one  Santos  Vega — the  Homer  of  the  Pampa — and  Juan  Sin  Ropa,  a 
Mephistopheles  of  the  plains.  Santos  Vega,  according  to  popular  fancy,  was 
the  soul  of  the  Pampa,  and  his  songs — variously  called  tristes,  vidalitas  and 
cielitos — were  long  the  delight  of  the  Gauchos  who  held  their  itinerant  bard 
in  the  same  affection  and  reverence  which  primitive  races  once  entertained 
for  their  poets  who  were  regarded  both  as  priests  and  seers.  But  a day  came, 
when  the  Santos  Vega — the  idolized  singer  of  the  Pampa — was  publicly  chal- 
lenged by  Juan  Sin  Ropa  to  a payada  de  contrapunto.  As  was  inevitable  in 
this  unequal  contest,  victory  rested  with  the  mysterious  payador.  Unable  to 
endure  the  disgrace  of  defeat,  Santos  Vega  mounted  his  horse  and  disappeared 
forever  in  the  boundless  Pampa. 

Santos  Vega  se  va  & hundir 

En  lo  immenso  de  esos  llanos. 

!Lo  han  vencido!  ILlego!  hermanos, 

El  momento  de  morir! 

“Juan  Sin  Ropa,”  as  Vincente  B.  Ibanez,  well  observes,  “is  the  Argen- 
tine spirit  of  the  city,  the  wise  demon,  with  all  the  powers  and  refinements 
of  the  civilization  which  conquers  the  ingenuous  man  of  the  plains  as  soon  as 
he  meets  him  face  to  face  in  single  combat.  And  the  noble  Gaucho,  recog- 
nizing his  inferiority,  acknowledges  his  discomfiture  and  retires  to  die  in 
obscurity.”  Argentina  y sus  Grandezas,  p.  249,  Madrid,  n.  d. 

3 Cf.  the  author ’s  ‘ ‘ Along  the  Andes  and  Down  the  Amazon,  ’ ’ p.  145. 

193 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


serene  summit  of  hope  and  ends  in  the  dismal  deep  of 
despair,  are  good  illustrations  of  the  character  of  this 
kind  of  mandolinate  poetry: 

Como  es,  paloma  mia, 

Paloma  blanca, 

Que  para  un  pecho  solo 
Tienes  dos  alas? 

Es  que  el  amor  cobijo 
Que  me  entregaras; 

Y dos  alas  preeiso 
Para  dos  almas.1 

A characteristic  stanza  from  a discarded  lover  runs 
thus : 


Su  labio  no  se  pinto 
Con  clavel,  coral  ne  grana, 

Sino  con  sangre  que  mana 
Del  corazon  que  partio.2 

But  the  true  Argentine  Gauchos,  who  were  wont,  in 
years  gone  by,  to  career  over  the  plains  lassoing  wild  cat- 
tle, or  capturing  untamed  horses  with  the  bolas,  are  rapidly 
disappearing.  In  the  more  settled  parts  of  the  country 
they  are  no  longer  to  be  seen.  The  few  that  remain  have 
retired  to  the  northwestern  part  of  the  Bepublic,  or  to 
the  sparsely  inhabited  sections  of  Patagonia.  We  saw  but 
few  of  them,  and  these  were  near  the  foothills  of  the  Andes. 
With  them  goes  much  of  the  local  color  of  the  Pampa. 
With  them,  also,  departs  a class  of  men  who  contributed 

*0  my  dove,  my  white  dove,  why  hast  thou  two  wings  for  only  one  heart? 

’Tis  because  my  bosom  shelters  the  love  which  thou  gavest  me,  and  I need 
two  wings  for  the  two  souls  I have. 

2 It  is  not  the  color  of  the  pink,  the  coral  or  the  cochineal  which  reddens 
thy  lips,  but  that  of  the  blood  which  gushes  from  the  heart  which  thou  hast 
pierced. 


194 


Two  Rival  Pay  adores  in  a Poetical  Tournament. 


Gaucho  Homes. 


THE  ARGENTINE  PAMPA 


much  towards  the  upbuilding  of  Argentina.  They  were 
among  the  best  soldiers  during  the  war  of  independence. 
They  assisted  materially  towards  delivering  their  country 
from  merciless,  marauding  savages  and  towards  develop- 
ing the  pastoral  industry  as  it  existed  before  the  introduc- 
tion of  present  scientific  methods.  As  a type,  they  re- 
sembled our  cowboys  of  a generation  ago,  and  the  Cossacks 
of  southern  Russia  of  a much  earlier  date.  The  more  dis- 
tinguished among  them  will  always  have  a place  in  the 
history  of  Argentina  as  Daniel  Boone  and  Kit  Carson  will 
ever  receive  special  notice  in  the  annals  of  our  own  coun- 
try.1 

But  who  is  the  Argentine?  I mean  the  typical  Argen- 
tine, the  representative  of  the  soul  of  the  nation,  the  ex- 

*An  English  writer  describing  the  Gaucho  says  of  him:  “The  Gaucho 

proper  is  a class — a race  it  may  be  called — by  itself,  and,  like  the  Indian, 
is  but  very  slowly  modified.  Within  a radius  of  very  many  leagues  extending 
from  the  chief  cities  of  the  Platine  Republic,  his  occupation  is  now  gone. 
Tillage  and  sheep-farming  have  driven  him  out,  and  he  is  retiring  across  the 
same  ground  over  which  the  Indian  has  retired  before  him.  There  is  a cer- 
tain poetry  and  picturesqueness  about  the  ‘race’  as,  in  a different  way,  about 
the  Moors  of  Castile,  which  almost  makes  one  regret  to  see  pass  away  a fellow 
who  will  sleep  on  his  saddle  at  your  door-sill,  like  a faithful  dog;  who  endures 
heat  and  cold,  hunger  and  thirst,  without  uttering  a complaint;  who  rides  five 
hundred  miles  on  end  at  your  bidding,  sleeping  in  the  open  air,  providing  his 
food  with  the  lasso  and  disposing  of  it  by  the  simple  appliance  of  his  knife, 
flint  and  steel,  with  bones  or  dried  weeds  as  fuel;  who  would  take  the  cows, 
neats  or  horses  of  any  one  but  his  patron;  who,  perhaps,  might  knock  a man 
off  his  horse  and  cut  his  throat  for  his  spurs  and  stirrups,  if  these  took  his 
fancy,  but  who,  in  his  patron ’s  service,  could,  with  perfect  confidence,  be 
trusted  with  hundreds  of  pounds  to  go  as  many  leagues  and  purchase  and 
bring  in  cattle;  who  moves  with  grace,  speaks  with  courtesy,  asks  after  all 
the  family  in  detail,  sends  his  compliments  to  the  patrona,  or  compliments  her, 
if  he  has  an  opportunity;  who  marks  on  the  ground  the  different  brands  of 
horses  or  cattle  of  numerous  owners,  and  traces  stolen  or  strayed  animals 
over  thousands  of  leagues — such  is  my  friend  the  Gaucho.  Yet  even  some  of 
these  come  within  the  circle  of  civilization  and  industry,  and  become  patient 
tenders  of  flocks.  Still,  as  a class,  the  Gaucho  proper  must  pass  away  under 
modifying  influences  and  altered  conditions;  and  where  these  do  not  reach,  the 
race,  from  that  lack  of  domesticity,  which  is  fatal  to  propagation,  must 
literally  die  out.”  Cf.  The  Romance  of  the  River  Plate,  Vol.  II,  p.  370, 
et  seq.,  by  W.  H.  Koebel,  London,  1914. 

195 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


ponent  of  its  aspirations,  and  the  heir  of  its  traditions  and 
past  glories,  the  one  who  is  preeminently  the  son  of  Argen- 
tina, who,  in  the  midst  of  the  untold  thousands  of  foreign 
birth,  is  attached  to  the  soil  by  all  the  fibers  of  his  being? 

Among  the  typical  Argentines,  is,  of  course,  the  Gauclio. 
He  is,  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  a true  son  of  the  glebe, 
for  he  and  his  forebears  have  been  identified  with  it  for 
centuries.  He,  too,  has  had  much  to  do  Avith  the  upbuild- 
ing of  the  nation  and  the  making  of  its  history.  Much  of 
the  hardihood  and  brilliant  achievement  for  which  the  Ar- 
gentines have  so  long  been  celebrated  must  be  credited  to 
this  picturesque  figure  of  the  Pampa.  One  cannot  but  re- 
gret that  this  class — it  cannot  be  called  a race — is  so  rapidly 
approaching  extinction. 

Other  typical  Argentines  are  the  descendants  of  those 
old  families  of  Spanish  stock  who  have  inhabited  the  coun- 
try since  early  colonial  times.  One  finds  them  in  the  great 
estancias  in  every  part  of  the  Republic.  Here  their  an- 
cestors have  lived  and  seen  their  children  increase  and  mul- 
tiply and  make  their  homes  on  the  estates  of  their  fathers 
in  true  patriarchal  style.  They  are  also  found  in  the  towns 
and  cities,  but  they  belong  to  the  exclusive  society  which 
has  little  sympathy  with  those  parvenus  whose  sole  occu- 
pation is  the  pursuit  of  Avealth  and  pleasure,  and  A\diose 
views  of  life  are  but  little  different  from  those  of  Epicurus 
and  Confucius.  Many  of  these  older  families  are  of  noble 
lineage  and  liaA^e  in  their  \Teins  the  blood  of  some  of  Spain’s 
most  famous  grandees.  Like  similar  families  in  Lima  and 
Quito,  they  constitute  the  aristocracy  of  Argentina,  and 
exhibit,  in  their  intercourse  A\dth  their  felloAA’s,  all  the  dig- 
nity and  chivalry  and  courtliness  of  the  hidalgos  of  Gran- 
ada and  Castile. 

In  the  eyes  of  the  laAv,  all  aaTlo  are  born  in  the  country, 
as  Avell  as  naturalized  immigrants,  are  citizens  of  Argen- 
tina, but  these  are  as  different  from  the  representatives 
of  the  old  families  referred  to,  as  are  our  latest  arrivals 

196 


THE  ARGENTINE  PAMPA 


from  Sicily  and  Russia  from  the  descendants  of  the  first 
colonists  of  Virginia,  Maryland,  or  New  England. 

The  truth  is  that  the  definitive  type  of  Argentine  is  still 
in  the  making.  What  it  will  eventually  be,  after  the  peoples 
of  the  various  nationalities  which  now  compose  the  popu- 
lation of  the  Republic  have  thoroughly  blended,  it  is 
difficult  to  predict.  The  process  of  fusion  will  naturally  be 
less  difficult  than  in  Brazil,  where  there  is  such  a large 
proportion  of  the  black  and  red  races.  In  Argentine  there 
are  now  but  few  Indians,  outside  of  the  Gran  Chaco  and 
Patagonia,  while  the  Negro  is  quite  a negligible  factor. 

In  speculating,  then,  on  what  will  be  the  result  of  the 
fusion  of  the  various  types  at  present  existing  in  Argentina 
we  have  to  deal  chiefly  with  the  Caucasian  race.  For  the 
Argentine  Republic,  like  that  of  Uruguay,  is  remarkable 
among  the  nations  of  South  America  for  the  predominance 
of  the  white  race.  As  has  already  been  said,  the  great  ma- 
jority of  the  population  consists  of  peoples  of  Latin  origin. 
These  readily  assimilate  with  one  another,  by  reason  not 
only  of  the  similarity  of  language,  of  literary  and  artistic 
traditions,  but  also  of  the  identity  of  religion  and  general 
culture  and  ways  of  life.  Until  a half-century  ago,  the 
population  was  almost  exclusively  of  Spanish  origin.  Since 
then  it  has  been  notably  modified  by  the  vast  influx  of  colon- 
ists from  Italy,  not  to  speak  of  those  from  other  parts  of 
the  world.  But  the  differences  from  the  parent  stock, 
which  these  people  of  Latin  extraction  exhibit  in  Argen- 
tina, are  the  result  of  local  and  historical  causes  rather 
than  the  commingling  of  native  elements.  As  might  be  ex- 
pected, the  recent  arrivals  from  Spain  fuse  more  readily 
with  the  native-born  inhabitants  of  the  country  than  do  the 
Italians.  This  is  because  of  the  sameness  of  language.  But 
it  is  only  a question  of  a short  time  until  the  Italians  also 
will  become  absorbed  into  the  native  population.1 

‘“Unity  of  language,”  writes  the  Argentine  statesman,  Carlos  Pellegrini, 
“necessarily  favors  the  process  of  fusion,  and  explains  the  fact  that  the  de- 

197 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


What  will  be  the  resultant  type  of  this  fusion  of  Ar- 
gentine, Spaniard  and  Italian  we  can  only  surmise.  For 
as  yet  we  are  without  the  necessary  data  for  determining 
the  effect  of  blood  admixture  on  national  character,  or  the 
influence  of  heredity  and  environment  on  a population  com- 
posed of  several  different  elements,  like  those  in  question. 
That  the  type  will  exhibit  the  best  and  most  prominent 
traits  of  the  component  peoples  there  is  every  reason  to 
believe.  That  it  will  possess  the  practical  intelligence  of 
the  Spaniard,  the  individual  energy  of  the  Italian,  the  ar- 
dent and  jubilant  patriotism  of  the  Argentine,  the  spirit  of 
enterprise,  the  optimism,  the  civic  idealism  of  all  these 
three  combined,  there  can  be  little  doubt.  That  Argentina, 
after  this  fusion  of  peoples  who  have  given  to  the  world  a 
Cervantes,  a Murillo,  a Calderon,  a Dante,  a Leonardo  da 
Vinci,  a Columbus,  a Galileo,  a San  Martin,  will  eventually 
take  a prominent  place  in  literature,  art,  science  and  states- 
manship seems  assured.  It  has  long  been  the  ambition  of 
Argentina  to  be  to  South  America  what  the  United  States 
is  in  the  North — the  leader  in  trade,  industry,  and  the 
dominant  factor  in  statecraft.  Blessed  with  a temperate 
climate,  with  a soil  as  fertile  as  any  in  the  world,  with  un- 
bounded resources  awaiting  development,  with  a peace-lov- 
ing population  and  a government  whose  stability  is  almost 
guaranteed  by  the  magnitude  of  foreign  interests  in  the 
country,  there  is  every  reason  why  the  Argentine  Republic 
should  realize  her  aspirations,  and  achieve  a prominent 
position  among  the  great  nations  of  the  earth.  A genera- 
tion or  two  of  continuous  peace  and  prosperity  may  suffice 
to  enable  this  young  and  vigorous  republic  to  take  rank 
with  the  parent  lands — Spain,  Italy  and  France — and  be- 
come not  only  the  perpetuator  of  the  spirit  and  the  great- 

scendants  of  immigrants  of  different  race,  religion,  language,  habits  and  tradi- 
tions are  able  to  fuse  so  completely  as  to  form  a perfectly  homogeneous  popu- 
lation, one  in  mind  and  in  sentiment,  thus  constituting  a new  nationality,  young, 
vigorous,  and  strongly  individual.  ” “ The  Argentine  in  the  Twentieth  Cen- 

tury, ’ ’ by  Albert  B.  Martinez  and  Maurice  Lewandowski,  p.  li  n.  d. 

198 


THE  ARGENTINE  PAMPA 


ness  and  the  glories  of  the  Latin  countries  of  southern 
Europe,  hut  also  the  acknowledged  head  and  champion  of 
the  Latin  race  in  the  New  World.1 

1 M.  L.  Guilaine,  in  “La  Bepublique  Argentine  Physique  et  Economique,  ” 
Paris,  1889,  p.  XXIII,  declares  Argentina  to  be  “cette  puissance  nouvelle  qui 
suffirait  a elle  seule  a rehabiliter  la  race  latine  a laquelle  elle  appartient 
et  a la  relever  de  cette  espece  de  decheance  et  d ’inertie  dont  elle  semble 
frappee,  dans  ce  dernier  quart  de  siecle,  devant  la  brutale  expansion  du  monde 
saxon  et  germanique.  ’ ’ 


CHAPTER  X 


ALONG  THE  SOUTHERN  FRONTIER  OF  THE  OLD 
INCA  EMPIRE 

One  of  the  most  interesting  journeys  which  one  can 
make  in  Argentina  is  from  Buenos  Aires  to  Tucuman,  by 
way  of  Rosario.  The  Central  Argentine  Railway  which 
connects  these  three  cities  is  one  of  the  best  constructed 
and  best  equipped  roads  in  the  Republic.  The  dining  and 
sleeping  cars  are  much  like  those  on  our  great  trunk  lines, 
and  the  employees  leave  nothing  undone  that  will  contribute 
to  the  comfort  and  pleasure  of  the  passenger.  Besides  this, 
the  road  passes  through  one  of  the  richest  and  most  flour- 
ishing sections  of  the  Republic.  In  parts  of  the  country 
traversed,  the  soil  is  so  fecund  that  it  produces  two  crops 
annually  for  twenty  years  and  more,  in  succession,  and 
that,  too,  without  the  use  of  artificial  fertilizers  of  any  kind. 
Wheat  and  other  cereals  are  grown  here  in  abundance  and 
constitute  the  chief  source  of  wealth  of  this  part  of  Ar- 
gentina. 

Our  first  stop  of  any  length  was  at  Rosario,  a pros- 
perous city  of  more  than  two  hundred  thousand  inhabi- 
tants. Although  it  is  nearly  two  centuries  old — having 
been  founded  by  Francisco  Godoy  in  1725 — its  present  re- 
markable progress  dates  only  from  1859,  when  President 
Urquiza  made  it  the  port  of  the  eleven  so-called  A rribeha — 
western — provinces.  Since  then  it  has  become  one  of  the 
world’s  great  centers  for  the  exportation  of  cereals,  es- 
pecially wheat.  The  Parana,  on  which  Rosario  is  situated, 
is  here  deep  enough  to  admit  large  ocean  vessels.  The 
docks  are  several  miles  in  length  and  plans  are  made  for 

200 


THE  FRONTIER  OF  THE  OLD  INCA  EMPIRE 


making  them  still  longer.  They  provide  every  convenience 
for  an  immense  fleet  of  merchantmen  from  all  parts  of  the 
world.  The  quantity  of  grain  exported  from  this  busy  mart 
frequently  exceeds  twenty  thousand  tons  a day.  The  wheat 
elevators  are  large  and  numerous  and  equipped  with  the 
latest  appliances  for  the  expeditious  transfer  of  the  prod- 
ucts of  the  Pampa  to  the  scores  of  ocean  steamers  moored 
at  the  long  line  of  docks. 

Rosario  ranks  next  to  Buenos  Aires  in  population  and 
commerce.  Its  people  are  as  industrious  and  enterprising 
as  they  are  courteous  and  hospitable.  Their  city  has  all 
the  aspects  of  a modern  metropolis.  Many  of  the  public 
and  private  buildings  rival  the  most  sumptuous  of  those  in 
the  national  capital.  Some  of  the  villas  along  the  Parana 
are  beautiful  specimens  of  architecture.  Many  of  them  re- 
semble the  suburban  homes  of  our  New  York  and  Philadel- 
phia millionaires.  There  are  spacious  plazas,  beautiful 
gardens,  broad  and  well-paved  streets  and  avenues.  The 
schools,  hospitals,  banks  and  clubs  are  thoroughly  up  to 
date  and  are  a striking  evidence  not  only  of  the  city’s 
wealth  and  prosperity  but  also  of  its  devotion  to  works 
of  education  and  charity.  Argentines  love  to  say  that 
Buenos  Aires  is  to  their  country  what  New  York  is  to  ours. 
One  can  say,  with  equal  truth,  that  Rosario  is  to  Argentina 
what  Chicago  is  to  the  United  States.  It  is  not  only  a great 
emporium  whence  is  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  world  the 
products  of  the  golden  plains  between  the  Parana  and  the 
Andes,  but  also  a center  of  industry  which  exhibits  better 
than  anything  else  the  energy,  intelligence  and  foresight  of 
its  inhabitants.  After  Buenos  Aires,  no  city  in  the  Republic 
furnishes  better  proof  of  the  future  greatness  of  Argen- 
tina than  does  wide-awake,  energetic  and  progressive  Ro- 
sario. 

After  leaving  Rosario,  the  next  place  of  interest — at 
least  for  myself — was  Santiago  del  Estero,  the  capital  of 
the  province  of  the  same  name.  I was  interested  in  it  be- 

201 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


cause  it  was  once  within  the  confines  of  the  vast  Empire 
of  the  Incas — an  empire  that  embraced  all  the  territory, 
between  the  Pacific  and  the  eastern  slopes  of  the  Andes, 
from  the  salt  marshes  of  Santiago  del  Estero  1 to  the  lofty 
plateaux  of  Northern  Ecuador.  The  Quicliua  language — 
the  tongue  of  the  Incas — is  still  spoken  in  Santiago  by  the 
descendants  of  the  old  Inca  colonists.  But  it  is  not  called 
Quicliua  here,  as  in  other  parts  of  South  America.  It  is 
known  as  Cuzcu,  from  Cuzco,  the  famous  Inca  capital. 
Thus  an  Indian  in  Santiago  will  say  “I  speak  Cuzcu,”  not 
“I  speak  Quicliua.” 

Hearing  Quicliua  in  these  parts  evoked  many  pleasant 
memories  of  delightful  days  in  Peru  and  Ecuador  where, 
for  months  at  a time,  I was  in  daily  contact  with  those 
whose  mother  tongue  was  Quicliua.  It  recalled  many  acts 
of  kindness,  many  spontaneous  services  rendered  me  by 
these  good  and  simple  folk  who  were  ever  ready  to  share 
their  frugal  meals  with  me,  or  to  offer  me  shelter  in  their 
humble  abodes.  It  freshened  the  memory  of  faithful  guides 
in  the  chilly  punas  and  paramos  of  the  Cordilleras,  and  of 
devoted  servants  and  cargueros  in  the  montanas  of  eastern 
Peru. 

That  the  dominions  of  the  Incas  should  have  been  so 
extensive  and  that  the  language  of  the  Children  of  the  Sun 
should  have  been  spoken  throughout  a region  whose  length 
exceeded  the  distance  from  London  to  Constantinople  has 
always  been  regarded  as  a marvelous  phenomenon  in 
South  American  history.  Military  conquest  does  not  ex- 
plain it.  The  Incas  were  able  to  annex  Quito  only  by  a 
political  marriage,  while  they  never  jeopardized  their  pres- 
tige by  attempting  to  subjugate  the  strong  and  liberty- 
loving  Araucanians  of  Chile.  How  was  it,  then,  that  they 
extended  their  sway  over  the  Lules  and  the  Calchaquies, 
who,  in  ante-colonial  times,  inhabited  the  northwestern  part 
of  what  is  now  known  as  Argentina? 

1 Quichua  names  of  places  are  found  as  far  south  as  Rio  Tercero. 

202 


THE  FRONTIER  OF  THE  OLD  INCA  EMPIRE 


In  his  “Commentaries  Reales,”  1 the  distinguished  Inca 
historian,  Garcilaso  de  la  Vega,  gives  the  answer.  Accord- 
ing to  him,  the  inhabitants  of  Tucuman — which  then  em- 
braced a much  larger  area  than  the  present  province  of  that 
name — learning  of  the  achievements  of  the  Children  of  the 
Sun  in  the  arts  of  peace,  sent  an  embassy  to  the  Inca  Huira- 
cocha,  begging  him  to  count  their  people  among  his  subjects 
and  to  send  them  princes  of  the  blood  royal  to  teach  them 
the  arts,  the  language  and  the  religion  of  the  Inca  Empire. 
This  was  more  than  two  centuries  before  the  Spaniards  set 
foot  on  the  soil  of  Peru.  The  incorporation,  then,  of  the 
agricultural  tribes  of  Tucuman  into  the  government  of  the 
Incas  was  spontaneous.  It  was  caused  by  their  desire  to 
share  in  the  benefits  of  the  civilization  for  which  the  Incas 
were  so  famed,  and  not  the  result  of  a war  of  conquest 
waged  against  them  by  the  more  powerful  tribes  who  owed 
allegiance  to  the  rulers  of  Cuzco. 

There  are  few  more  touching  spectacles  in  South  Ameri- 
can history  than  that  of  the  ambassadors  of  the  rude  In- 
dians of  the  broad  territory  of  Tucuman,  tired  of  the  bar- 
barism in  which  their  people  had  so  long  lived,  starting 
on  their  long  journey  in  quest  of  teachers  of  the  arts  of 
civilized  life.  They  do  not  hesitate  to  leave  the  benign 
climate,  the  umbrageous  forests,  the  comfortable  life  of 
their  native  plains,  and  brave  the  cold,  the  fatigue  and  the 
countless  dangers  of  a journey  of  five  hundred  leagues 
through  the  bare  and  inhospitable  table-lands  of  the  Cordil- 
leras. Only  those  who  are  familiar  with  the  forbidding 
character  of  the  country  which  they  had  to  traverse  can 
realize  how  great  must  have  been  their  trials  and  sufferings 
before  they  arrived  at  the  end  of  their  long  and  venture- 
some peregrination.  But  they  finally  arrived  in  Cuzco. 
And  when  they  made  known  the  object  of  their  mission, 
they  were  treated  with  every  consideration  by  the  Inca  and 
his  court.  And  what  was  more  to  them,  and  the  people 

1 Lib.  V,  Cap.  XXV.  Madrid,  1723. 

203 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


whom  they  represented,  they  were  assured  at  once  that  all 
their  requests  would  he  granted — that  they  should  have  the 
teachers,  artisans  and  kuracas — chiefs — and  ministers  of 
the  Sun  they  asked  for  and  that  their  country  would,  as 
they  desired,  form  an  integrant  part  of  the  great  empire 
of  the  Children  of  the  Sun. 

The  vestiges  of  Lulu  and  Calchaqui  civilization,  includ- 
ing the  ruins  of  towns  and  aqueducts,  which  are  still  found 
in  the  province  of  Tucuman,  show  that  the  Incas’  teachers 
found  apt  and  docile  pupils  among  their  new  subjects  in 
the  distant  south.  Their  pottery,  especially,  is  remarkable, 
and  reminds  one  in  some  of  its  features  of  that  of  the 
ancient  Tuscans.  The  manual  and  agricultural  arts  soon 
attained  almost  the  same  degree  of  perfection  that  so  sur- 
prised the  Spanish  conquerors  on  their  arrival  in  Cuzco 
and  in  the  great  Cliimu.  A knowledge  of  the  treatment  of 
such  metals  as  gold,  silver,  copper  and  tin  was  widespread, 
as  was  also  that  of  spinning  and  weaving  the  wool  of  the 
alpaca  and  the  vicuna.  This  latter  handicraft  still  remains 
a favorite  one  among  the  Indians  in  this  section  of  the 
country.  The  use  of  cotton  fabrics  was  general,  and,  if 
we  may  believe  Sr.  D.  Pablo  Groussac,1  the  name  Tucuman 
is  of  Quicliua  origin  and  signifies  “land  of  cotton.”  But 
the  most  remarkable  fact  about  the  dominant  influence  of 
the  Incas  among  these  people  in  the  land  of  cotton  was  that 
this  influence  was  not  imposed  on  them  by  a conquering 
warrior,  but  was  eagerly  sought  and  received  with  grati- 
tude by  the  people  themselves.  The  inhabitants  of  Tucu- 
man, like  the  Araucanians  of  Chile,  loved  liberty  and  in- 
dependence, but — a rare  thing  in  the  history  of  nations — 
they  loved  civilization  far  more. 

Of  the  city  of  Tucuman,  or  rather,  San  Miguel  de  Tucu- 
man, to  give  its  full  name,  all  the  members  of  our  party 
will  ever  cherish  the  most  pleasant  memories.  The  hos- 

1 “ Memoria  Historiea  y Descriptiva  de  la  Provincia  de  Tucuman,”  p.  13, 
Buenos  Aires,  1882. 


204 


THE  FRONTIER  OF  THE  OLD  INCA  EMPIRE 


pitality  of  its  people  was  both  generous  and  exquisite.  Ow- 
ing to  the  lack  of  railroads  until  a recent  date,  they  have 
been  quite  isolated  from  the  rest  of  the  world.  For  this 
reason  one  still  finds  among  them  many  of  the  quaint  cus- 
toms of  colonial  times  and  that  peculiar  social  flavor  which 
distinguished  the  civilization  of  the  Spanish  peninsula  dur- 
ing the  age  of  Cervantes  and  Lope  de  Vega.  The  women 
are  noted  for  their  grace  and  charm;  the  men  for  their 
dignity  and  goodness  of  heart. 

“Nowhere  in  the  world,”  said  a prominent  business 
man  from  New  England  to  me — a man  who  lias  long  made 
his  home  in  Tucuman— “ will  you  find  more  devoted  wives 
and  mothers  than  here  in  my  adopted  city.”  This  explains 
in  great  measure  the  impressive  fact  that  the  rate  of  in- 
crease of  population  in  the  province  of  Tucuman — exclud- 
ing immigrants — is  greater  than  that  of  any  country  in 
Europe.  According  to  statistics,  the  most  favored  nation 
of  Europe  requires  fifty  years  to  double  its  population. 
In  Tucuman  the  number  of  inhabitants  is  doubled  in  thirty- 
seven  years. 

Another  interesting  fact  is  that  the  density  of  Tucu- 
man’s  population  is  greater  than  that  of  any  other  province 
of  Argentina,  not  excepting  that  of  Buenos  Aires.  It  is 
even  greater  than  that  of  the  United  States. 

Comparatively  few  of  the  people  are  pure  whites.  Most 
of  them  are  mestizos,  descended  from  Spaniards  who  had 
intermarried  with  the  aborigines,  especially  with  those 
tribes  who  had  come  under  the  civilizing  sway  of  the  Incas. 
They  formed  a noble  race  in  which  one  often  finds  combined 
the  best  traits  of  both  the  Indian  and  the  Spaniard. 

With  few  exceptions,  the  buildings  of  the  city  of  Tucu- 
man are  like  those  which  were  found  in  all  the  cities  and 
towns  of  Spanish  America  during  colonial  times.  Their 
style  of  architecture  is  identical.  They  are  of  one  story 
and  have,  usually,  two  or  more  patios,  at  least  one  of  which 
is  used  as  a corral  for  horses  and  other  animals.  This 

205 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


architectural  monotony  observable  in  the  older  cities  of 
Spanish  America  is  the  result  of  laws  promulgated  by  the 
mother  country  prescribing  that  all  houses  be  of  the  same 
form — sean  de  una  forma  por  el  ornato  de  la  poblacion.1 

Stranger  than  the  law  regulating  the  form  and  con- 
tiguity of  the  buildings  of  all  centers  of  population,  whether 
large  or  small,  was  the  reason  assigned  for  having  horse 
and  cow  stables  connected  with  dwelling  houses.  Incredible 
as  it  may  seem,  this  arrangement  was  adopted  as  a sanitary 
measure.  It  was  in  keeping  with  the  theory  of  the  medical 
fraternity  in  Madrid  during  the  reign  of  one  of  the  Aus- 
trian Philips,  which  maintained  that,  by  reason  of  the  prox- 
imity of  the  Spanish  capital  to  the  Sierra  de  Guadarrama, 
the  air  was  “so  piercing  and  subtle  that  this  kind  of 
corrupting  it  with  these  ill  vapors  kept  it  in  good  tem- 
per.” 2 

These  laws,  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  observe,  have 
long  ceased  to  be  operative.  In  Tucuman,  as  in  all  other 
progressive  cities  in  South  America,  each  one  is  free  to 
select  his  own  style  of  architecture  for  his  home  and  other 
buildings  and  to  make  them  of  as  many  stories  as  he  may 
choose.  We  saw  here  numerous  residences  of  modern  de- 
sign, and  suburban  villas  that  have  but  little  in  common 

1 Another  peculiar  law,  which  was  more  frequently  ignored  than  observed, 
was  to  the  effect  that  all  towns  and  cities  should  be  on  the  east  of  the  river 
on  which  they  were  located,  so  that  the  rising  sun  should  shine  on  the  town 
before  striking  the  water— de  primero  en  el  pueblo  que  en  el  agua. 

2 When  the  Spanish  statesman,  Esquilache,  determined  to  have  the  streets 
of  Madrid  cleaned,  the  opponents  of  the  measure  “le  presentaron  cierta 
originalisima  consulta  hecha  por  los  medicos  bajo  el  reinado  de  uno  de  los 
Felipes  de  Austria  y reducida  a demostrar  que,  siendo  sumamente  sutil  el  aire 
de  la  poblacion  & causa  de  estar  proxima  a la  sierra  de  Guadarrama,  oca- 
sionaria  los  mayores  estragos  si  no  se  impregnara  en  los  vapores  de  las  imun- 
dicias  desparramadas  por  las  ealles!  ” “Historia  del  Reinado  de  Carlos  III 
en  Espaiia,  Tom  I,  pp.  267,  268,  by  Antonio  Ferrer  del  Rio,  Madrid,  1856. 

This  unhygienic  condition,  it  may  here  be  remarked,  was  not  peculiar  to 
Spain  or  her  colonies  during  the  period  in  question.  Similar  conditions  still 
exist  in  all  the  countries  of  Europe,  as  well  as  in  other  parts  of  the  civilized 
world. 


206 


THE  FRONTIER  OF  THE  OLD  INCA  EMPIRE 


with  the  old  one-storied  Spanish  home  with  its  numerous 
patios  and  corrals. 

One  of  our  greatest  architectural  surprises  in  Tucuman 
was  the  Hotel  Savoy.  It  was  a splendid  structure,  opened 
only  a short  time  before  our  arrival.  It  is  thoroughly  mod- 
ern in  all  its  appointments  and  is,  in  every  way,  a credit  to 
the  city.  The  service  and  the  comfort  it  assures  its  patrons 
tempts  one  to  tarry  among  the  charming  people  who  are 
found  in  such  large  numbers  in  this  interesting  old  capital. 

A source  of  never-ending  delight  were  the  graceful 
jacaranda  trees  which  adorned  the  sides  of  the  streets. 
They  were  loaded  with  large  panicles  of  purplish-blue 
flowers  of  rare  beauty  and  luxuriance.  I cannot  imagine  a 
more  ornamental  shade-tree  for  the  southern  cities  of  the 
United  States.  If  once  introduced,  it  would  become  as  popu- 
lar as  the  wistaria  whose  exquisite  flower-clusters  closely 
resemble  in  form  and  color  those  of  the  jacaranda. 

Through  the  kindness  of  our  genial  hosts  we  were  able 
to  see  all  the  chief  places  of  interest  in  and  around  the  city. 
A drive  that  was  particularly  delightful  was  to  a charming 
summer  resort  on  the  forest-covered  slope  of  the  Sierra  de 
Aconquija,  which  parallels  the  great  Andean  range  to  the 
westward  and  whose  lofty  peaks  are  covered  with  eternal 
snow.  Here  we  found  a score  or  more  of  cozy  cottages 
which  are  occupied  by  the  leading  families  of  Tucuman 
during  midsummer,  which  is  our  midwinter.  Surrounded 
by  all  kinds  of  shrubbery,  fruit  trees  and  flowers  of  every 
hue,  each  of  these  summer  homes  seemed  ideal  places  for 
rest  and  recreation.  The  climate  is  cool  and  exhilarating 
and  the  views  of  mountain  and  plain  are  superb.  It 
has  been  my  good  fortune  to  contemplate  numerous  mag- 
nificent prospects  from  many  points  along  the  cordilleras 
from  the  Caribbean  to  Patagonia,  but  I can  truthfully  say 
that  one  of  the  most  enchanting  was  that  which  opened 
up  before  my  delighted  vision  as  I stood  on  the  porch  of 
the  rose-trellised  cottage  of  our  amiable  host,  ex-Governor 

207 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Nougues.  It  was,  indeed,  a panorama  to  delight  the  eye 
and  dilate  the  soul.  It  was  broad,  dignified,  tranquil,  mag- 
nificent. The  severity  of  the  denuded  crest  of  Aconquija, 
desolately  grand,  was  in  striking  contrast  with  the  opulent 
abundance  of  the  plain,  which  was  covered  with  a carpet 
which  surpassed  in  loveliness  anything  that  ever  came  from 
the  looms  of  Shiraz  or  Cashmere. 

Immediately  in  front  of  us,  and  for  miles  down  the 
mountain’s  flank,  were  semitropical  plants  and  trees  of 
wondrous  beauty  and  luxuriance.  Beyond  this  forest  belt 
was  an  emerald-green  plain  whose  boundaries  were  lost  in 
the  dim  horizon,  untold  leagues  distant.  Everywhere  were 
thriving  towns  and  villages,  and  in  their  midst  the  pic- 
turesque capital  of  the  province  with  its  lofty  church-domes 
and  steeples.  The  soft  green  of  the  plain  was  due  to  tens 
of  thousands  of  acres  of  sugar-cane,  which  is  the  chief  sta- 
ple of  this  fertile  and  populous  province.  Everywhere  were 
large  ingenios — sugar  mills — surrounded  by  the  homes  of 
hundreds,  and,  in  some  cases,  of  thousands  of  employees. 
And  there  were  countless  flocks  and  herds  luxuriating  in 
the  well-watered  meadows.  There  were  also  broad  acres 
of  golden  grain,  gardens  of  exuberant  flowers  and  orchards 
laden  with  the  luscious  fruits  of  every  zone. 

“The  Promised  Land,  as  seen  from  Mount  Pisgali,”  I 
observed  to  Colonel  Roosevelt,  who  was  standing  near  me. 
“Yes,”  he  answered,  “you  are  right.  It  is  like  a view  of 
the  Promised  Land.” 

But  we  were  not  the  first  to  give  expression  to  this 
thought.  Even  to  the  earliest  Spanish  colonists,  as  Padre 
Lozano  informs  us,  this  fair  and  fertile  region  was  known 
as  La  Tierra  de  Repromision.1  And  it  deserves  the  name. 
For  in  climate,  fertility  of  soil  and  variety  and  richness  of 
flora  it  is  not  surpassed  by  any  province  of  the  Republic. 

1 ‘ ‘ Historia  de  la  Conquista,  del  Paraguay,  Rio  de  la  Plata  y Tucuman,  ” 
Tom.  II,  pp.  103-104;  Buenos  Aires,  1873-75.  It  has  also  been  called  “The 
American  Switzerland”  and  “The  Eden  of  America.” 

208 


THE  FRONTIER  OF  THE  OLD  INCA  EMPIRE 


The  province  of  Tucuman  has  long  been  the  center  of 
the  sugar  industry  of  Argentina.  The  annual  production 
has,  in  favorable  years,  been  as  high  as  one  hundred  and 
sixty  thousand  tons.  What  is  not  required  for  home  con- 
sumption is  exported  to  Europe  and  elsewhere. 

We  visited  three  of  the  largest  sugar  factories  and  plan- 
tations, two  of  which  belong  to  the  families  Nogues  and 
Hileret,  both  of  French  origin.  The  third  is  the  property 
of  an  Argentine  company  of  which  the  governor  of  the 
state,  Sr.  D.  Ernesto  Padilla,  one  of  our  hosts,  is  a promi- 
nent member.  Among  the  employees  were  Argentines,  mi- 
gratory Italians  and  mestizos  from  Santiago  del  Estero. 
We  also  noticed  some  pure-blooded  Indians  who  were  de- 
scendants of  those  who  received  their  first  knowledge  of 
industry  and  agriculture  from  the  Incas  of  Peru.  Among 
the  foremen,  engineers,  electricians,  chemists  and  book- 
keepers of  these  vast  establishments  are  many  Frenchmen 
and  Germans,  although  many  responsible  positions  con- 
nected with  the  management  of  machinery  are  held  by  na- 
tive Argentines  who  exhibit,  as  far  as  we  could  observe,  as 
much  intelligence  and  skill  as  their  associates  from  Ger- 
many and  France. 

All  of  the  machinery  which  we  saw  in  these  immense 
plants  is  of  European  manufacture.  There  is  a splendid 
opening  here  and  in  the  two  score  other  ingenios  in  the 
province  of  Tucuman  for  enterprising  makers  of  North 
American  machinery.  So  far  as  I could  learn,  our  Ameri- 
can agents  and  manufacturers  have  done  little  or  nothing 
in  this  promising  field.  There  was  never  a better  oppor- 
tunity for  them  to  secure  the  trade  in  machinery  of  all  kinds 
in  tins  rich  province  than  now,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that 
our  people  will  not  fail  to  take  advantage  of  present  favor- 
able conditions. 

In  all  these  big  properties  we  were  impressed  with  the 
manifest  interest  exhibited  by  the  owners  of  them  in  their 
employees.  Everything  possible  is  done  for  their  welfare 

209 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


and  that  of  their  families.  They  receive  good  wages,  are 
provided  with  homes  and  fuel  free  of  charge,  and  have 
beautiful  churches  and  schools  erected  for  their  benefit. 
Their  homes,  while  modest,  are  comfortable,  and  are  sur- 
rounded by  orange,  banana,  mandarin  and  other  fruit  trees. 
Many  of  them  have  beautiful  gardens  around  them,  in 
which  are  not  only  choice  vegetables  but  also  lovely  flowers 
such  as  jasmines,  nasturtiums,  violets,  geraniums  and 
roses  of  many  varieties  and  colors.  All  these  things,  joined 
with  the  mild  climate  and  generous  soil,  cannot  fail  to  make 
for  the  comfort  and  contentment  of  the  thousands  of  labor- 
ers who  have  their  homes  in  these  parts. 

The  people  of  Tucuman,  in  order  to  get  the  best  har- 
vests from  their  cane  plantations,  rice  and  wheat  fields,  or- 
chards and  gardens,  have  established  an  agricultural  col- 
lege in  which  scientific  gardening,  farming  and  arboriculture 
are  taught  by  trained  experts  from  Europe  and  the  United 
States.  This  institution  is  frequented  not  only  by  the  sons 
of  planters  and  estancieros,  but  also  by  those  of  merchants 
and  statesmen  who  have  a less  direct  interest  in  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  soil.  The  results  already  achieved  by  the  college 
more  than  demonstrate  the  wisdom  of  its  establishment. 
Here  experiments  are  made  on  plants  and  trees  from  all 
parts  of  the  world.  Not  satisfied  with  the  oranges  that 
grow  here  in  profusion — and  they  are  of  a good  quality — 
those  in  charge  of  the  college  have  imported  other  varieties 
from  Italy,  the  Riviera,  from  Tangiers,  and  Majorca,  from 
Syria,  China  and  Brazil.  In  the  extensive  nurseries  of  the 
institution  there  are  countless  varieties  of  vegetables, 
strawberries,  cherries,  lemons,  apricots,  mandarins.  There 
are  more  than  a hundred  varieties  of  peaches,  many  of 
which  are  from  California,  France  and  China. 

But  the  chief  attention  of  the  professors  and  students 
of  the  college  is  devoted  to  Tucuman ’s  most  important 
asset — sugar-cane.  Every  known  variety  of  this  plant 
seems  to  have  been  brought  here.  There  is  sugar-cane  from 

210 


THE  FRONTIER  OF  THE  OLD  INCA  EMPIRE 


Cuba,  Louisiana  and  Honduras;  from  Peru,  Mexico,  and 
Hawaii ; from  Borneo,  Sumatra  and  the  Celebes ; from  Java, 
India  and  the  Malay  Archipelago;  from  the  Congo,  New 
Caledonia  and  the  Philippine  Islands.  If  one  may  judge 
by  the  well-directed  enthusiasm  of  students  and  professors 
in  their  experiments  on  these  different  species  and  varieties 
of  cane  and  on  their  adaptability  to  the  soil  and  climate  of 
Tucuman,  one  is  justified  in  expecting  results  of  great  and 
permanent  value,  not  only  to  the  people  of  Argentina,  but 
also  to  the  sugar  producers  of  other  parts  of  the  world. 

The  social,  industrial  and  economical  conditions  of  Tu- 
cuman interested  all  of  our  party  immensely,  but,  although 
I fully  shared  the  interests  of  my  companions,  I must  con- 
fess that  I was  inclined  to  devote  more  time  to  the  relics 
of  the  city  which  evoke  memories  of  its  storied  past  and  to 
the  monuments  which  recall  the  glorious  deeds  of  its  patri- 
otic sons  and  daughters  during  the  stirring  times  of  the 
great  war  of  independence. 

Among  these  relics  is  one  which  is  treasured  in  the 
sacristy  of  the  cathedral.  It  is  a large  cross  of  darkened 
quebracho  wood  which  commemorates  the  foundation  of 
the  city  on  its  present  site  in  1685.  I say  on  its  present 
site,  because  it  was  first  located  about  twelve  leagues  to  the 
south,  near  the  little  town  of  Monteros,  on  a small  river 
which  still  bears  the  name  of  Rio  del  Pueblo  Viejo.  The  old 
Tucuman,  which  was  situated  near  the  Sierra  de  Conquija, 
was  founded  in  1565,  and  was  designed  as  a stronghold 
against  the  attacks  of  hostile  Indians.  But  on  account  of 
the  insalubrity  of  the  place  and  other  urgent  reasons,  the 
inhabitants  petitioned  King  Charles  II  for  its  transfer  to 
its  actual  site  near  the  Rio  Sali.  The  translation  was  ef- 
fected with  great  solemnity.  What  was  particularly  not- 
able was  that  all  the  buildings,  public  and  private,  with  the 
exception  of  the  town-hall,  had  in  the  new  town  the  same 
relative  location  which  they  had  occupied  in  the  old. 

Tucuman  is  celebrated  in  the  annals  of  Argentina  for 

211 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


the  great  victory  that  was  here  gained  by  Belgrano,  the 
leader  of  the  patriot  forces,  over  the  Spanish  army  under 
General  Tristan  on  the  twenty-fourth  of  September,  1812. 
Manuel  Belgrano  was  a native  of  Buenos  Aires,  and  after 
San  Martin,  is,  in  the  estimation  of  the  Argentines,  the 
greatest  hero  of  the  war  of  independence.  An  imposing 
monument  has  been  erected  to  his  memory  in  the  Plaza  de 
la  Independencia,  and  the  people  of  the  city  cherish  the 
memory  of  Belgrano  as  if  he  were  a son  of  Tucuman. 

Of  the  far-reaching  effect  of  the  battle  of  Tucuman 
there  can  be  no  doubt.  The  people  of  the  city  love  to  speak 
of  it  as  a victory  due  to  their  prowess  and  determination 
to  fight  in  spite  of  the  orders  which  had  been  sent  to  Bel- 
grano from  the  government  in  Buenos  Aires  to  retire  be- 
fore the  enemy,  even  if  fortune  should  favor  his  arms. 
Women,  as  well  as  men,  fought  in  the  ranks  of  the  patriot 
army.  Among  the  heroines  of  this  memorable  conflict  was 
a woman  known  in  history  as  Manuela,  la  Tucumana,  who, 
fighting  at  her  husband’s  side,  so  distinguished  herself  by 
her  achievements  that  she  was  made  an  officer  in  the  vic- 
torious army.  She  and  Policarpa  Salavarrieta,  of  Colom- 
bia, to  whose  memory  her  country  erected  a beautiful  mon- 
ument in  Guaduas,  are  but  two  of  many  of  the  patriotic 
heroines  of  South  America,  whose  names  are  held  in  bene- 
diction, and  whose  deeds  of  daring  have  long  been  the 
favorite  themes  of  poets,  historians  and  orators.  The 
women  of  Spanish  America  are  usually  thought  of  as  deli- 
cate and  timid  creatures  who  would  be  afraid  to  venture 
forth  from  the  shelter  of  their  homes,  but  the  two  heroines 
named  show  that,  when  occasion  demands,  they  are  of  the 
same  determined  character  as  the  Spartan  mothers  of  old, 
and  that  they  will  unhesitatingly  face  death  on  the  field  of 
battle  in  their  country’s  cause. 

The  victory  of.  Tucuman  not  only  saved  the  cause  of 
the  revolution  in  Argentina,  but  it  also  contributed  very 
materially  towards  the  triumph  of  independence  in  the 

212 


THE  FRONTIER  OF  THE  OLD  INCA  EMPIRE 


whole  of  the  South  American  continent.  It  paved  the  way,  as 
Mitre  points  out,1  to  the  victory  of  Salta,  the  passage  of  the 
Andes,  the  battles  of  Maipo  and  Chacabuco,  the  expedition 
to  Lima,  and  the  assistance  given  to  Bolivar  by  San  Mar- 
tin. Without  it,  the  successful  campaign  of  the  patriots  in 
Uruguay,  Chile,  Quito,  Upper  and  Lower  Peru  would  have 
been  long  delayed  or  paralyzed.  After  that  great  triumph, 
as  Groussac  observes,2  “Argentine  independence  became 
an  indestructible  fact.  The  patriots  knew  their  strength 
and  the  royalists  their  weakness.  The  battle  of  Tucuman 
is  the  first  canto  of  the  epopee  which,  from  Panama  to 
Buenos  Aires,  Belgrano,  Bolivar  and  San  Martin  will  write 
with  their  swords.  It  does  not  announce  a general  of  genius 
to  the  people  of  La  Plata,  but  it  presents  a nation  of  fiber 
and  valor  to  its  sisters  of  the  continent.”  Since  that  mo- 
mentous event  Tucuman  has  been  called  El  Sepulchro  de  la 
tyrania. 

In  one  of  the  churches  of  Tucuman  is  a statue  of  Our 
Lady  of  Mercy— Nuestra  Senora  de  la  Merced — which  is 
probably  the  most  fondly  cherished  object  in  the  city. 
Every  visitor  goes  to  see  it,  and  every  year,  on  the  twenty- 
fourth  of  September,  the  feast  of  Our  Lady  of  Mercy,  and 
likewise  the  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  Tucuman,  this 
statue  is  carried  with  great  pomp  in  procession  through 
the  streets  of  the  city.  The  statue  is  decked  with  finest 
silks  and  laces  and  jewels,  but  the  object  on  which  all  eyes 
are  riveted,  as  it  is  borne  through  the  city,  is  a field-mar- 
shal’s baton  in  the  Virgin’s  right  hand.  The  story  of  when 
and  why  this  baton  was  placed  in  the  Virgin’s  hand  is  as 
touching  as  it  is  beautiful. 

After  the  battle  of  Tucuman,  just  as  a division  of  the 
vanguard  of  Belgrano ’s  army  was  returning  to  the  city, 
it  encountered  a procession  passing  through  the  streets  of 
the  city  carrying  in  triumph  this  statue  of  Our  Lady  of 

'“Historia  de  Belgrano,”  Tom.  II,  p.  76,  Buenos  Aires,  1859. 

aOp.  cit.,  p.  155. 


213 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Mercy.  As  the  victory  of  the  twenty-fourth  of  September 
had  been  won  on  the  day  of  the  invocation  of  Our  Lady,  it 
was  attributed  by  the  people  to  her  special  intercession. 
General  Belgrano,  who  was  a deeply  religious  man,  decided 
then  and  there  to  name  her  general  of  the  army.1  The 
division  of  the  vanguard,  still  in  the  saddle  and  covered 
with  dust,  joined  the  procession  and  accompanied  it  on  its 
way  to  the  battlefield,  which  was  still  reeking  with  the  blood 
of  its  victims.  Belgrano  then  approached  the  framework 
on  which  the  statue  was  carried  and  reverently  placed  his 
baton  in  the  Virgin’s  hand.  After  this  the  procession  con- 
tinued its  course  to  the  place  of  victory.  This  simple  and 
unexpected  act  of  the  victorious  warrior  produced  a most 
profound  impression  on  that  great  concourse  of  people 
who  were  as  pious  as  they  were  brave.  This  and  other 
acts  of  public  devotion  no  less  than  his  achievements  on 
the  battlefield  made  Belgrano  a national  hero.  More  than 
this!  They,  in  the  words  of  his  biographer,  Bartolome 
Mitre,  changed  the  face  of  the  revolution — cambiaron  la 
faz  de  la  revolution.2 

In  view  of  these  facts  and  associations,  can  we  wonder 
that  the  good  people  of  Tucuman  manifest  such  tender 
devotion  toward  Our  Lady  of  Mercy  and  hail  her  not  only 
as  the  Generala  of  the  Argentine  Army  but  also  invoke  her 
as  their  patroness  and  protectress?  She  is  to  them  what 
Joan  of  Arc  is  to  France,  and  much  more.  She  is  not  only 
the  Lady  of  Victory,  but  also  the  Consolation  of  the  Af- 
flicted and  the  Help  of  Christians. 

The  greatest  national  monument  in  Tucuman  is  the  Hall 
of  Independence.  It  is  a small  and  unpretentious,  one- 
story  building,  but  it  is  dear  to  the  hearts  of  all  Argentines. 
For  it  was  here  that  the  first  sovereign  congress  of  the 
United  Provinces  of  Rio  de  la  Plata  convened  on  the 

‘La  Hizo  nombrar  Generala  del  Ejercito,  “Historia  de  Belgrano,”  Tom. 
II,  p.  70,  by  B.  Mitre. 

s Ibid. 


214 


Casa  de  Independence.  Tucuman. 


Native  Fruit  Market  in  Western  Argentina. 


THE  FRONTIER  OF  THE  OLD  INCA  EMPIRE 


twenty-fifth  of  March,  1816,  to  complete  the  work  which 
had  been  begun  in  the  constituent  assembly  at  Buenos 
Aires  on  May  twenty-fifth,  1810,  when  the  people  of  that 
city  rose  in  revolt  against  Spanish  rule.  In  it  are  exhibited 
the  portraits  of  the  signers  of  the  declaration  of  inde- 
pendence, the  chair  that  was  occupied  by  the  presiding 
officer  of  the  congress,  as  well  as  a number  of  other  objects 
that  are  sure  to  arrest  the  attention  of  the  visitor.  To  pro- 
tect it  from  the  elements,  it  is  now  in  a large  and  elaborate 
building  of  recent  construction. 

This  memorable  congress,  in  the  vast  territory  which 
was  to  he  affected  by  its  decisions,  was  well  described  as 
“the  hope  of  the  people  and  the  object  of  general  expecta- 
tion.” No  one,  not  familiar  with  the  chaotic  condition  of 
the  country  at  the  time  the  congress  assembled,  can  realize 
how  necessary  it  was  to  stem  dissension  and  anarchy,  and 
rally  the  discordant  multitudes  to  the  support  of  the  sacred 
cause  of  liberty.  The  congress  itself,  in  its  manifesto 
issued  three  years  after  the  opening  of  its  first  session, 
describes  the  sad  state  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Plata  re- 
gion in  the  following  paragraphs: 

“Spain  fans  among  us  the  fire  of  dissension.  . . . She 
sends  exterminating  armies.  They  spread  everywhere 
desolation  and  crime,  and  the  successes  of  war  are  against 
us. 

“Ah!  in  what  a deplorable  state  the  Republic  found 
itself  when  the  National  Congress  was  inaugurated. 

‘ ‘ Governments  succeed  each  other  tumultuously  like  the 
waves  of  an  agitated  sea.  An  assembly  is  installed  which 
vanishes  like  smoke;  a scandalous  conflict  exists  between 
the  supreme  government  and  many  provinces ; the  spirit  of 
party,  in  which  one  faction  combats  another,  is  rampant; 
everywhere  are  restless  citizens  always  ready  to  sow  dis- 
trust; the  public  treasury  is  exhausted;  the  State  is  without 
agriculture,  without  commerce,  without  industry;  in  fine, 
the  entire  state  is  rushing  headlong  from  error  to  error, 

215 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


and  from  calamity  to  calamity,  to  its  political  dissolution.” 

Confronted  with  anarchy  within  and  armed  forces  from 
without — for  Spain  was  on  the  point  of  dispatching  a large 
army  to  suppress  the  revolt  in  the  Plata  region — the  pa- 
triots were  almost  desperate.  They  were  prepared  to  be- 
come the  subjects  of  any  foreign  power  rather  than  suffer 
the  vengeance  of  Ferdinand  VII.  They  even  went  so  far 
as  to  send  a special  envoy  to  England  to  beg  the  British 
government  to  take  possession  of  this  portion  of  the  Span- 
ish colonies.1 

But  no  sooner  had  the  congress  assembled,  than  the 
lovers  of  freedom  began  to  breathe  more  freely  and  confi- 
dently to  hope  for  final  deliverance.  And  they  were  not  dis- 
appointed. On  the  ninth  of  July,  1816,  the  United  Prov- 
inces in  South  America,  “invoking  the  Eternal  who  pre- 
sides over  the  universe,  and  in  the  name  of  and  by  the 
authority  of  the  peoples  they  represented,  protesting  to 
heaven  and  to  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  the  justice  of 
their  act,  solemnly  affixed  their  signatures  to  the  act  which 
declared  them  and  the  people  they  represented  to  be  free 
and  independent  of  the  Spanish  Crown,  to  which  they  had 
been  subject  for  nearly  three  centuries.”  The  colony  then 
came  to  an  end  and  the  Republic  was  established.  The  con- 
stituent assembly  of  Buenos  Aires  in  1810  had,  as  has  well 
been  remarked,  carved  the  statue  in  marble.  The  congress 
of  Tucuman  gave  it  life  and  a name.  Well  could  the  pro- 
secretary of  the  Congress,  Dr.  Jose  Augustin  Molina — then 
a priest  but  subsequently  a bishop — in  giving  expression  to 
the  feelings  of  his  associates,  as  well  as  to  his  own,  exult- 
ingly  exclaim: 

“O,  diem  lsetum,  notandum  nobis  candidissimo  calculo.”2 

But  the  most  interesting  part  of  this  dramatic  story 
remains  to  be  told.  That  refers  to  the  membership  of 

’Dominguez,  L.  L.,  “Historia  Argentina,”  p.  362,  Buenos  Aires,  1870. 

JOh,  joyful  dayl  to  be  marked  by  us  with  whitest  stone. 

216 


THE  FRONTIER  OF  THE  OLD  INCA  EMPIRE 


the  majority  of  the  congress  and  to  the  determining  influ- 
ence of  this  majority  in  securing  liberty  and  independence, 
not  only  for  the  inhabitants  of  what  once  had  been  the  vice- 
royalty of  Buenos  Aires  but  also  for  all  the  peoples  of  the 
entire  South  American  continent. 

The  accredited  delegates  to  the  congress  were  twenty- 
nine  in  number.  Of  these  sixteen  were  priests  and  monks 
who,  like  the  lay  members,  were  elected  by  the  suffrages 
of  the  people  whom  they  represented.  They  were  not  only 
the  dominating  element  of  the  congress,  but  it  was  due  to 
them,  and  particularly  to  one  of  their  number,  that  the 
form  of  government  agreed  upon  for  the  nascent  nation 
was  a republic  and  not  a monarchy.  For  the  great  major- 
ity of  the  congress,  as  were  also  the  early  leaders  of  the 
revolution — those  who  put  their  sword  and  their  intelli- 
gence at  the  service  of  their  country  when  it  was  in  the 
throes  of  anarchy,  defeat  and  impending  despair — were 
avowed  monarchists.  But  the  mass  of  the  people,  guided 
by  a peculiar  instinct,  which  was  as  remarkable  as  it  was 
powerful,  were  opposed  to  a monarchy  of  any  kind  what- 
ever. The  innate  force  of  liberty  among  them  radiated  and 
dilated  as  irresistibly  as  light  from  the  sun  in  heaven.  And 
the  sentiment  of  equality  and  brotherhood  was  everywhere 
deeply  implanted  in  their  hearts.  Thanks  to  this  peculiar 
instinct  and  irresistible  force,  the  Argentines  of  today  are 
what  their  revolutionary  forefathers  in  1816  wished  them 
to  become.  The  inborn  aspirations  of  the  people  were  fully 
realized  only  when  they  saw  the  monarchy  under  which 
they  had  lived  for  three  long  centuries  replaced  by  a form 
of  government  which  was  republican,  federal  and  repre- 
sentative. 

But  their  triumph  was  won  in  the  face  of  the  greatest 
opposition,  and  opposition,  too,  on  the  part  of  those  who 
were  the  people’s  authorized  representatives.  For,  when 
the  delegates  in  the  congress  of  Tucuman  came  to  discuss 
the  form  of  government  which  should  be  adopted  for  the 

217 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


United  Provinces  of  South  America,  it  became  evident  that 
nearly  all  of  them  were  in  favor  of  the  same  form  of  gov- 
ernment against  which  the  people  had  rebelled  only  a few 
years  previously.  They  were  ready  to  accept  as  ruler  a 
scion  of  the  house  of  Bourbon,  or  Braganza;  and  even  men 
of  such  prominence  as  Rivadavia,  Sarratea,  Monteagudo 
and  Belgrano — men  whose  statues  are  seen  in  the  plazas, 
and  whose  names  are  given  to  the  streets  of  the  cities  and 
towns  of  Argentina — favored  the  idea.  More  than  this! 
Many  of  the  delegates,  especially  those  from  Upper  Peru, 
seriously  discussed  the  project  of  asking  some  descendant 
of  Manco  Capac  and  Mama  Occlo  to  guide  the  destinies  of 
the  emancipated  people  of  the  United  Provinces  of  the 
newborn  nation. 

That  the  plans  of  the  monarchists  were  frustrated,  and 
that  Argentina  is  now  a republic  is  due  to  the  influence 
and  determination  of  a single  man.  This  was  Fray  Justo 
de  Santa  Maria  de  Oro,  a learned  and  patriotic  Dominican, 
who  afterwards  became  bishop  of  Cuyo.  This  distinguished 
friar,  who  was  an  ardent  republican,  was  able  to  convert 
his  associates  in  the  congress  to  his  views  and  to  have  them 
recognize  that  the  best  interests  of  the  people  they  served 
peremptorily  demanded  the  establishment  of  a republic. 
He  completed  the  work  which  had  been  inaugurated  under 
the  leadership  of  another  Dominican,  Padre  Fray  Ignacio 
Grela,  when,  at  the  commencement  of  the  insurrection, 
Spanish  rule  was  declared  to  be  at  an  end.1 

The  congress  was  composed  of  men  of  exceptional  abil- 
ity and  learning.  Most  of  them  were  either  ecclesiastics  or 
jurists,  and  the  majority  of  them  were  university  gradu- 
ates. The  members  of  the  regular  and  secular  clergy,  in 
addition  to  possessing  a profound  knowledge  of  theology 

1 * ‘ Alas  doce  del  dia  25  de  Mayo  eaia  para  siempre  en  Buenos  Aires  el 
poder  espanol,  a impulsos  del  pueblo  encabezado  por  un  fraile.  ” “ Influencia 

del  Clero  en  la  Independencia  Argentina,”  p.  23,  by  Augustin  Piaggio,  Barce- 
lona, 1912. 


218 


THE  FRONTIER  OF  THE  OLD  INCA  EMPIRE 


and  philosophy,  were  well  versed  in  canon  and  civil  law. 
Before  espousing  the  cause  of  the  revolution,  they  had  care- 
fully considered  the  morality  of  their  action  and  did  not 
cast  their  lot  with  the  insurgents  until  they  were  convinced 
of  the  justice  of  their  cause.1  For  most  of  them,  the  step 
was  a momentous  one  in  many  ways.  It  meant  war  not  only 
against  their  mother  country,  but  war  against  friends  and 
relatives  and  coreligionists.  It  meant  cutting  loose  from  a 
country  to  which  they  had  been  so  long  bound  by  the  most 
sacred  ties:  by  religion,  traditions,  the  glorious  achieve- 
ments of  their  ancestors  in  discovery  and  conquest.  It 
meant,  if  they  failed,  trial  and  execution  for  treason.2  But 
notwithstanding  all  this,  they  acted  as  did  Cortez  when  he 
burnt  his  ships  behind  him.  They  had  satisfied  themselves 
that  they  were  embarking  in  a sacred  cause,  the  cause  of 
liberty,  a cause  that  was  Christian  as  well  as  patriotic.  And 
like  their  confreres  in  other  parts  of  Spain’s  colonial  em- 
pire, like  such  patriotic  priests  as  Jose  Matias  Delgado, 
in  Central  America,  like  Hidalgo,  Morelos  and  Matamoras 
in  Mexico — to  mention  no  others — they  gave  cheerful  and 
unremitting  service  to  their  country  until  independence 
was  an  acknowledged  reality  by  all  the  nations  of  the 
world. 

It  has  frequently  been  said  that  the  success  of  the  revo- 
lution in  the  vice-royalty  of  Buenos  Aires  was  due  to  its 
bishops  and  priests.  This  is  true.  Without  their  cordial 
and  active  cooperation,  it  was  from  the  beginning  doomed 
to  failure.  Had  not  the  clergy  in  the  assembly  at  Buenos 
Aires  and  in  the  congress  of  Tucumbn  taken  the  conspicuous 
part  they  did  as  champions  of  liberty,  the  devastating  wars 

1 It  has  well  been  said  by  a Spanish  writer  that  the  delegates  of  the  con- 
gress, ‘ ‘ Se  emancipaban  de  su  rey,  tomando  todas  las  preeauciones  para  no 
emanciparse  de  su  Dios  y de  su  eulto.  . . . Querian  conciliar  la  vieja  re- 

ligion con  la  nueva  Patria.  ’ ’ And  the  device  of  each  one  of  them  was  in  effect, 
if  not  in  words,  Patriota  y Beligioso. 

a ‘ ‘ El  Acta  de  la  Independencia  fue  subscrita  por  sus  autores  con  peligro 
de  muerte.  ” Pioggio,  op.  cit.,  p.  397. 

219 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


between  Spain  and  her  American  colonies  would  have 
lasted  much  longer  and  their  independence  would  have 
been  delayed  until  a much  later  date.  Never  in  any  part 
of  the  world,  except  in  Ireland  during  penal  times,  were 
priests  and  people  more  closely  united  than  in  the  United 
Provinces  of  La  Plata  during  the  critical  period  between 
1810  and  1820.  Never  did  a people  stand  in  greater  need 
of  wise  and  conscientious  leaders  than  when  they  had  to 
choose  between  contending  factions  and  decide  what  was 
their  duty  to  God  and  country.  And  nobly  did  the  clergy 
respond  to  the  call  which  was  made  on  them  and  nobly 
did  they  meet  the  duties  and  responsibilities  of  the  hour. 
With  a full  knowledge  that  they  were  risking  all  their 
earthly  interests,  and  life  itself,  on  the  attitude  they  as- 
sumed, they  went  forth  everywhere  as  the  apostles  of  lib- 
erty and  as  the  advocates  of  independence.  They  exerted 
their  sacerdotal  influence  to  the  utmost  in  public  and  pri- 
vate, in  the  home,  in  the  school,  in  the  church,  in  national 
assembly  and  congress.  Although  poor,  very  poor,  they 
unhesitatingly  gave  the  greater  part  of  their  possessions 
to  the  support  of  the  patriot  army : 1 monks  left  their  cells 
to  minister  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  soldiers  in  camp 
and  on  the  field  of  battle.  Dominicans,  Franciscans,  Mer- 
cederians,  Augustinians,  Bethleliemites,  priests  of  St.  John 
of  God  left  their  homes  to  serve  as  doctors,  nurses,  secre- 
taries, chaplains,  historiographers. 

Nor  were  the  bishops  and  archbishops  less  active  in 
the  cause  of  emancipation.  From  the  outbreak  of  hostili- 
ties, their  sympathies  were  with  the  people.  But  when 
the  congress  of  Tucuman  issued  its  declaration  of  inde- 

1 One  could  then  say  of  the  great  majority  of  the  parish  priests  what  the 
Argentine  historian,  Frias,  writes  of  an  ecclesiastic  who  greatly  aided  the 
insurgents  by  word  and  deed:  “Su  cura,  su  maestro,  su  apostol  y su  guia 

dabales  el  ejemplo  antes  que  todo  desprendiose  de  quanto  poseia  acopiado  en 
su  morada  para  su  subsistencia  particular.”  ‘‘Historia  del  General,  D. 
Martin  Giiemes  y de  la  Salta  de  1810  a 1832,”  by  Dr.  Bernardo  Frias,  Tom.  I, 
p.  430.  Salta,  1902. 


220 


THE  FRONTIER  OF  THE  OLD  INCA  EMPIRE 


pendence,  and  when  there  could  be  no  longer  any  doubt 
about  the  wishes  of  the  people,  as  interpreted  by  their 
official  representatives,  they  entered  the  contest  in  a way 
that  left  its  issue  no  longer  in  doubt.  They  then  consid- 
ered the  revolution  as  a fait  accompli  and  required  all 
priests  under  their  jurisdiction  to  submit  to  the  newly  estab- 
lished government  as  the  only  legally  constituted  govern- 
ment. On  reactionaries  they  imposed  silence.  Parish  priests 
who,  after  being  duly  warned,  still  persisted  in  continuing 
agitation  in  favor  of  the  Spanish  monarchy  were  removed 
from  their  charges  and  replaced  by  others  wdio  were  either 
native-born  or  avowed  sympathizers  of  the  new  regime.1 
If  this  did  not  have  the  desired  effect,  the  agitators  were 
deprived  of  their  faculties,2  and,  if  necessary  to  the  coun- 
try’s peace,  they  were  turned  over  to  the  civil  authorities 
to  be  dealt  with  according  to  the  gravity  of  their  case. 
No  ecclesiastic,  whatever  his  position,  was  permitted  to 
take  advantage  of  his  sacred  office  and  prestige  to  foment 
trouble  and  impede  the  free  action  of  the  newly  established 
government.3  There  were,  naturally,  many  priests  and 

1 The  archbishop  of  La  Plata,  having  learned  of  the  pernicious  activity  of 
certain  parish  priests  in  behalf  of  the  Spanish  government,  immediately  re- 
moved them  from  their  charges  and  replaced  them  by  others  in  whose  “ pru- 
dencia,  entereza,  humildad,  idoneidad  y patriotismo,”  he  had  full  confidence. 
Cf.  Piaggio,  op.  cit.,  p.  111. 

2 Thus,  we  read  that  the  vicar-general  of  the  diocese  of  Salta,  acting  as 
administrator,  in  March,  1813,  “cireulo  un  auto  en  toda  la  diocesis,  suspen- 
diendo  las  liceneias  del  ministerio,  con  exeepcion  de  la  misa,  a numerosos 
sacerdotes  . . . prohibiendo  bajo  penas  severas  el  ‘zaherir  y vulnerar  la 
opinion  de  nuestra  causa  y sana  conducta  de  los  amadores  de  nuestra  libertad 
e independencia. ’ ” Dr.  D.  Julian  Toscano,  “El  Primer  Obispado  de  Tucu- 
man  y la  Iglesia  de  Salta,”  Tom.  I,  p.  481. 

The  same  ecclesiastical  authority,  acting  on  a complaint  of  San  Martin 
made  against  a pastor  in  Catamarca,  deprived  the  offender  of  his  faculties 
and  gave  his  parish  to  one  who  was  “hi jo  del  pais,’’  and  who  possessed  “la 
precisa  calidad  de  adicto  a la  santa  causa  de  la  P atria.’’  Poggio,  op.  cit.,  p. 
119. 

3 * ‘ La  autoridad  ecclesiastica,  poseida  del  sentimento  nobilisimo  que  agi- 
taba  los  corazones  de  la  immensa  mayoria  de  los  habitantes  del  pais,  vigilaba 
atenta  para  que  el  clero  que  no  simpatizaba  con  las  innovaciones  que  nos 

221 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


bishops,  who  had  been  born  and  bred  in  Spain,  whose 
sympathies  were  all  with  the  mother  country.  Both  the 
new  government  and  its  adherents  respected  the  opinions 
of  these  men  and  their  loyalty  to  the  land  of  their  birth, 
as  long  as  they  remained  neutral  and  made  no  attempt 
at  a propaganda  in  support  of  the  interests  of  the  Span- 
ish Crown.  They,  too,  were  patriots  in  their  own  way, 
and  were  as  ready  to  sacrifice  everything  in  behalf  of 
the  sovereign  of  their  native  land  as  were  the  priests  and 
prelates  who  had  espoused  the  cause  of  independence. 

As  I contemplated  the  portraits,  in  La  Sala  de  Inde- 
pendencia,  in  Tucuman,  of  the  priests  and  monks  who  had 
signed  the  act  of  independence  which  signalized  the  down- 
fall of  Spanish  power  not  only  in  the  vice-royalty  of  Buenos 
Aires,  but  also  in  the  whole  of  South  America;  when  I 
recalled  the  devotion  and  heroism  of  the  hierarchy,  of 
religious  orders,  of  cathedral  chapters,  of  university  pro- 
fessors who  were  mostly  ecclesiastics,  of  parish  priests  in 
every  nook  and  corner  of  the  Andes  and  in  the  scattered 
towns  and  villages  of  the  Pampa,  I could  not  but  think 
that  their  countrymen  have  been  singularly  oblivious  of 
the  priceless  services  these  distinguished  sons  of  the 
Church  rendered  their  country  in  the  hour  of  its  great- 
est need. 

Everywhere  one  finds  monuments  erected  in  honor  of 
Belgrano  and  San  Martin.  All  this  is  fully  deserved,  for 
no  military  leaders  ever  had  a greater  claim  on  posterity 
for  their  devotion  to  their  country’s  welfare  and  for  the 
brilliancy  of  their  achievements.  But  without  the  active 
and  enthusiastic  cooperation  of  the  clergy,  victory  over 
the  powerful  foe  would  have  been  impossible  and  eman- 
cipation a chimera.  Argentina  has  done  nothing  to  per- 
petuate the  memory  of  those  devoted  and  patriotic  ecclesi- 

dieron  patria  y libertad  no  pudiera  valerse  de  su  ascendiente  sobre  los  pueblos 
para  poner  trabas  en  el  camino  de  la  idea  regeneradora.  ” Pioggio,  op.  cit., 
120. 


222 


THE  FRONTIER  OF  THE  OLD  INCA  EMPIRE 


astics  who  made  triumph  possible  and  independence  a 
reality.  Considering  the  nature  and  importance  of  their 
services  during  the  nation’s  long  struggle  for  liberty,  they 
deserve  a greater  and  a nobler  monument  than  any  that 
has  thus  far  been  erected  to  commemorate  the  glorious 
deeds  of  the  heroes  of  the  revolution.  It  should  be  in  the 
most  conspicuous  and  most  honorable  place  in  the  national 
capital  and  should  exhibit  to  future  generations  the  in- 
timate connection,  as  evinced  by  the  clergy  in  the  war 
of  independence,  between  loyalty  to  country  and  loyalty 
to  the  Church.  Until  this  monument  shall  have  been 
erected  by  the  republic  of  Argentina,  a great  debt,  a debt 
of  gratitude  and  a debt  of  honor,  will  remain  unpaid,  and 
justice  to  the  memory  of  a large  body  of  the  nation’s  most 
deserving  heroes  will  remain  unawarded. 


CHAPTER  XI 


THE  LEARNED  CITY 

About  twelve  hours  after  leaving  Santa  Ana,  where 
we  were  royally  entertained  by  M.  Hileret,  we  were  in 
Cordoba,  the  celebrated  old  university  town  which  has 
long  been  named  La  Ciudad  Docta — the  learned  city.  Most 
of  our  journey  from  Santa  Ana  to  Cordoba  was  through 
an  arid  and  unforested  country  much  like  northern  Mex- 
ico. For  long  stretches  the  soil  was  almost  bare  of  vege- 
tation. Shrubs  resembling  mesquite  bushes,  and  cactus 
plants  covered  with  flaming  red  and  yellow  blossoms  are 
the  chief  representatives  of  the  flora  of  this  part  of  the 
Pampa.  The  only  wild  animal  I saw  was  a zorilla,  or 
skunk.  For  an  hour  or  more  before  seeing  it,  I was  sure 
this  mephitic  animal  was  in  the  vicinity,  for  its  peculiar, 
offensive  odor  was  unmistakable.  I afterwards  learned 
that  skunks  are  not  only  very  numerous  in  this  part  of 
Argentina,  but  that  their  pelts  are  quite  an  important 
article  of  commerce.  Many  of  the  so-called  Alaskan  sables 
worn  by  women  of  fashion  in  Europe  and  the  United  States 
are  the  furs  of  this  enfant  du  diable  of  the  province  of 
Cordoba. 

At  times  the  dust  raised  by  the  rapidly  speeding  train 
was  almost  stifling.  Notwithstanding  all  the  precaution 
that  had  been  taken  to  make  our  car  dust-proof,  the  white 
alkaline  soil,  as  fine  as  tripoli,  had  a way  of  forcing  itself 
into  our  stateroom  that  rendered  one  most  uncomfortable. 
When  we  arose  in  the  morning,  after  being  suffocated  with 
the  dust  during  a greater  part  of  the  night,  everything — 
our  bed,  clothing,  toilet  articles — was  covered  with  a thick 

224 


THE  LEARNED  CITY 


layer  of  irritating  powder  like  comminuted  pumice.  I 
had  often  experienced  great  discomfort  while  traveling 
through  the  broad  alkali  flats  of  Wyoming  and  Montana, 
but  I never  suffered  so  much  from  dust  as  in  the  arid 
waste  between  Tucuman  and  Cordoba. 

There  was,  however,  some  compensation  for  the  dis- 
comfort endured  in  the  opportunity  afforded  for  study- 
ing one  of  the  most  interesting  geological  features  of  this 
part  of  Argentina.  We  were  passing  through  the  region 
of  salines — salt  lake  deposits — which  constitute  the  western 
edge  of  what  was,  untold  thousands  of  years  ago,  the 
great  Pampean  sea.  According  to  the  late  Colonel  G.  E. 
Church,  this  inland  sea  extended  from  the  Ventana  and 
Curumalal  mountains,  south  of  Buenos  Aires,  to  the  river 
Cassiquiare,  if  not  to  the  Caribbean  Sea,  and  “from  the 
Parana  and  Paraguay  rivers  on  the  east  to  the  foothills 
of  the  Andes  on  the  west.”  1 This  immense  body  of  wTater 
then  separated  South  America  into  two  small  continents, 
the  Andean  and  the  Brazilian,  each  of  which  was  peopled 
by  distinct  tribes,  between  whom  communication  was  diffi- 
cult, if  not  impossible.  A part  of  this  vast  mediterranean 
sea  still  reappears  every  year  during  the  rainy  season, 
when  many  thousands  of  square  miles  of  the  Upper  Ama- 
zon region  are  covered  with  water. 

As  one  approaches  Cordoba,  a great  change  is  observed 
in  the  appearance  of  the  country.  Thanks  to  a more  pro- 
pitious climate  and  to  an  abundant  supply  of  water,  one 
sees  everywhere  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  city  broad 
acres  of  yellowing  wheat,  and  sea-green  maize,  together 
with  blue-blossomed  flax  and  purple-flowered  alfalfa. 

This  marvelous  change  in  the  landscape  has  been  effected 
in  little  more  than  a quarter  of  a century.  For  only  a 
few  decades  ago  the  land  around  Cordoba  wTas  regarded 
as  sterile  and  utterly  worthless  for  agricultural  purposes. 

lc‘ Aborigines  of  South  America,”  p.  4,  Loudon,  1912,  and  “Argentine 
Geography  and  the  Ancient  Pampean  Sea,”  Geographical  Journal,  Oct.,  1898. 

225 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Even  such  an  eminent  man  of  science  as  Herman  Bur- 
meister  had  pronounced  the  Pampa  unfit  for  tillage,  and 
by  many  his  judgment  had  been  accepted  as  final.  But  in 
this  case  experiment  proved  more  reliable  than  theory.  For 
only  a few  years  after  Burmeister’s  opinion  was  made  pub- 
lic, it  was  conclusively  demonstrated  that  the  Pampa  is 
one  of  the  best  cereal-producing  regions  in  the  world. 

Since  then  the  development  of  the  agricultural  resources 
of  the  province  of  Cordoba  has  been  extraordinary,  and  to 
no  one  a greater  surprise  than  to  the  inhabitants  them- 
selves who  had  hitherto  considered  even  their  best-watered 
estancias  fit  only  for  grazing  purposes.  Now  its  agri- 
cultural products  rank  next  to  those  of  the  flourishing 
provinces  of  Buenos  Aires  and  Santa  Fe. 

The  city  of  Cordoba,  whose  present  population  is  about 
eighty  thousand,  was  founded  by  Geronimo  Luis  cle  Car- 
brera,  who  had  been  appointed  as  governor  of  the  prov- 
ince of  Tucuman  by  the  famous  viceroy  of  Peru,  Don  Fran- 
cisco de  Toledo.  Cabrera,  like  Diego  de  Rojas,  the  first 
governor  of  Tucuman,  was  one  of  those  famous  Conquista- 
dores  whose  achievements  have  cast  such  a glamour  of 
romance  over  the  whole  of  Spanish  America.  No  body 
of  men  has  ever  been  more  criticised  or  vilified  than  these 
daring  adventurers,  but  even  their  greatest  enemies  are 
forced  to  admire  their  valor  and  heroism. 

What  the  sons  of  Spain  achieved  during  a century  of 
conquest  has  surpassed  everything  of  the  kind  recorded 
in  the  annals  of  our  race.  No  group  of  men  has  ever  ex- 
hibited so  lofty  a contempt  of  death  or  displayed  nobler 
intrepidity  in  the  face  of  constant  danger  during  a longer 
period  of  time  than  did  the  gallant  soldiers  of  Pizarro, 
Quesada  and  Valdivia.  No  undertaking  was  too  difficult 
for  them.  No  danger  could  deter  them  from  an  enter- 
prise which  in  their  estimation  promised  undying  glory. 

But  to  give  them  the  hearts  of  steel,  which  enabled 
them  to  encounter  with  alacrity  what  to  others  would  have 

226 


THE  LEARNED  CITY 


seemed  insuperable  difficulties,  seven  centuries  of  prepa- 
ration were  necessary.  Nothing  short  of  an  almost  inter- 
minable war  against  the  Moors  could  have  prepared  them 
for  their  astounding  campaigns  against  savages  and  their 
extraordinary  adventures  in  the  dark  forests,  frigid  pla- 
teaux and  burning  deserts  of  South  America.  History 
tells  us  that  during  the  long  and  terrible  warfare  with 
the  followers  of  Islam,  there  were  old  Spanish  warriors 
who  could  sleep  comfortably  only  on  the  bare  ground  and 
in  their  cuirasses  which  were  less  firm,  even,  than  their 
unyielding  hearts.  In  comparison  with  the  unheard-of 
marches  and  combats  and  retreats  of  these  irresistible  con- 
querors, bravely  enduring  all  the  extremes  of  heat  and 
cold,  and  suffering  all  the  torments  of  hunger,  thirst  and 
disease,  the  Anabasis  of  the  ten  thousand  Greeks,  as  has 
well  been  remarked,  appears  only  as  a military  parade. 
But  the  famous  achievements  of  the  Conquistadores  in 
South  America’s  southland  still  await  their  Xenophon. 

What  has  here  been  said  of  the  Conquistadores  in  gen- 
eral may,  with  equal  truth,  be  affirmed  of  the  first  con- 
querors of  Tucuman.  They  were  brave  and  hardy  men 
and  were  animated  with  the  same  spirit  of  adventure  which 
so  distinguished  the  doughty  captains  of  Cortes,  Almagro 
and  the  Pizarros.  Their  long  marches  of  nearly  two  thou- 
sand miles  from  Peru  to  Tucuman  attest  this.  For  their 
course  was  not  through  a region  in  which  the  climate  was 
salubrious,  the  inhabitants  friendly  and  subsistence  abun- 
dant. The  very  opposite  was  the  case.  When  not  pur- 
suing their  weary  way  through  the  parched  deserts  along 
the  Pacific,  they  were  advancing  over  the  cold  and  dreary 
wastes  of  the  lofty  Peruvian  plateau  and  cautiously  mov- 
ing through  the  dangerous  defiles  of  the  Cordilleras,  where 
they  were  liable,  at  any  moment,  to  be  ambushed  and 
annihilated  by  hordes  of  hostile  savages.  Provisions  were 
rare  and  difficult  to  procure.  Even  water  was  frequently 
wanting,  and  the  ranks  of  the  brave  adventurers  were 

227 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


decimated  by  hunger  and  thirst  and  the  rigors  of  a deadly 
climate.  But,  undeterred  by  the  sufferings  and  deaths  of 
their  comrades,  the  brave  survivors  still  marched  on  with 
the  banner  of  Spain  always  held  aloft,  as  if  defying  the 
powers  of  man  and  nature. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  Conquistadores  were  spurred 
on  to  their  deeds  of  high  emprise  by  three  mainsprings 
of  action.  These  were  the  desire  to  spread  the  Gospel 
among  the  heathen,  the  lust  of  gold  and  the  thirst  for 
glory.  This  is  true.  Following  the  example  of  Columbus 
and  Las  Casas  and  obeying  the  injunctions  of  the  pious 
and  tender-hearted  Isabella,  all  but  the  most  reprobate 
of  the  conquerors  ever  retained  a consciousness  in  their 
dealings  with  the  aborigines  of  their  duties  as  Christians 
and  as  the  soldiers  of  rulers  who  had  left  nothing  undone 
that  would  conduce  to  the  welfare,  spiritual  and  temporal, 
of  their  Indian  subjects  overseas.1  But  even  for  these  God- 
fearing men,  the  lure  of  gold  and  the  love  of  glory  were  all- 
powerful.  In  the  case  of  many  of  the  leading  Conquista- 
dores, it  would  be  difficult  to  decide  which  was  the  more 
potent  incentive  to  action.  Some  of  the  more  noted  of 
them  seemed  to  despise  gold  and,  as  a matter  of  fact,  actu- 
ally died  poor  men,  when  it  was  in  their  power  to  amass 
the  wealth  of  a Hindu  potentate.  But  there  was  ever 
present  the  unquenchable  desire  to  distinguish  themselves 
by  feats  of  arms,  to  achieve  immortality  as  had  so  many 
of  their  countrymen  in  the  land  of  El  Cid  Campeador. 

During  the  time  of  which  I am  speaking,  it  was  a com- 
mon saying,  “Peru  for  gold  and  Chile  for  glory.”  The 
origin  of  this  saj’ing  was,  doubtless,  the  fact  that,  whereas 
in  Peru  there  was  abundance  of  gold,  as  well  as  glory, 
there  was  in  Chile,  where  gold  was  almost  entirely  absent, 
nothing  but  glory  for  the  adventurous  Conquistador.  We 
shall  see,  in  writing  of  Chile,  that  there  was  truth  in  the 

1 Even  tne  much  abused  conqueror  of  Peru,  Francisco  Pizarro,  was  not  an 
exception.  See  my  “Along  the  Andes  and  Down  the  Amazon,”  p.  247  et  seq. 

228 


THE  LEARNED  CITY 


saying.  But  notwithstanding  the  lack  here  of  the  gold- 
stimulus,  few  of  the  conquerors  have  greater  claims  to 
immortality  than  those  who,  like  Valdivia  and  his  lieuten- 
ants, added  such  luster  to  the  Spanish  name  by  their 
achievements  under  the  shadow  of  Mercedario  and 
Aconcagua. 

Of  the  conquerors  of  Tucuman,  as  of  those  of  Chile, 
the  dominating  motive  of  action  was  glory.  It  was  early 
discovered  that  there  was  no  gold  in  the  Pampa,  but,  never- 
theless, Spanish  warriors  welcomed  the  award  of  territory 
here  by  the  viceroys  of  Peru,  and,  after  the  natives  were 
subdued,  were  glad  to  colonize  the  lands  which  had  been 
assigned  them  and  to  make  their  homes  there  among  their 
brave  companions  in  arms.  For  even  glory  in  time  palled 
on  these  men  of  blood  and  iron.  And  after  long  years 
of  struggle  with  the  Calchaque,  who  offered  almost  as  de- 
termined resistance  against  the  Spaniards  as  the  Arau- 
canians  across  the  Andes,  they  welcomed  an  era  of  peace 
and  an  opportunity  to  taste  the  joys  of  domestic  life. 

It  was  toward  the  end  of  this  long  war  between  the 
Spaniards  and  the  southernmost  subjects  of  the  Incas 
that  Cabrera  laid  the  foundation  of  Cordoba — a city  that 
was  destined  to  become  the  most  important  in  the  vast 
territory  of  Tucuman  and  to  be,  for  nearly  three  hundred 
years,  one  of  the  chief  centers  of  education  and  culture 
in  Spanish  America.  Singularly  enough,  Cordoba  was 
founded  on  the  same  day  that  the  illustrious  Juan  de  Garay, 
the  second  founder  of  Buenos  Aires,  laid  the  foundations 
of  Santa  Fe  on  the  banks  of  the  Parana.  And  another 
coincidence  worthy  of  notice  was  that  both  founders  are 
preeminent  among  the  Conquistadores  for  their  exalted 
character,  moral  worth  and  the  distinguished  services 
which  they  rendered  to  religion  and  civilization.  By  rea- 
son of  their  admirable  qualities  of  heart  and  mind,  as 
well  as  by  their  excellent  social  connections,  both  were  able 
to  gather  about  them  men  of  noble  lineage  who  were  will- 

229 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


ing  to  share  the  fortunes  of  their  leaders  and  establish 
their  homes  in  the  cities  which  they  had  founded. 

One  no  sooner  comes  in  contact  with  the  people  of  Cor- 
doba than  he  realizes  that  he  is  dealing  with  the  worthy 
descendants  of  its  illustrious  founders.  There  is  every- 
where an  atmosphere  of  delicate  refinement,  of  true  Span- 
ish courtesy  and  chivalry  that  is  a positive  delight.  The 
women  of  the  older  families  of  Cordoba  are,  like  their 
sisters  of  Lima,  distinguished  by  a peculiar  grace  and 
gentleness  all  their  own,  while  the  men  are  characterized 
by  a dignity  and  courtesy  truly  Castilian.  This  is  what 
one  should  expect  when  one  recalls  the  intimate  relations 
which  so  long  existed  between  Cordoba  and  the  home  of 
the  viceroys.  There  is,  too,  in  the  more  exclusive  families 
of  Cordoba  something  of  that  noble  aristocracy  which  was 
so  striking  a feature  of  the  Peruvian  capital  during  colonial 
times  and  which  still  persists,  in  spite  of  all  the  democratic 
tendencies  which  have  been  so  dominant  since  the  vice- 
regal court  in  Lima  was  closed  forever.1 

Unlike  Buenos  Aires  and  Rosario,  which  are  so  modern 
in  their  aspect,  Cordoba  has  all  the  appearance  of  an  old 
colonial  city.  There  are  the  same  flat-roofed,  one-story 
houses,  with  spacious  patios  adorned  with  flowers  and 
shrubs  like  those  of  Granada  and  Seville.  The  churches 
and  monasteries  are  of  the  same  style  of  architecture  as 
those  of  similar  edifices  in  all  parts  of  Latin  America. 
Some  of  them  are  noble  structures  with  interior  decora- 
tions that  are  truly  gorgeous.  This  statement  is  particu- 
larly true  of  Santo  Domingo,  the  cherished  sanctuary  of 
Nuestra  Senora  del  Rosario,  who  is  widely  known  as  “La 
Virgen  del  Milagro.”  Santo  Domingo  is  not  only  the  most 
sumptuous  church  in  the  Republic,  hut  it  is  also  a favorite 
shrine  which  is  annually  visited  by  countless  pilgrims  from 
all  parts  of  the  country.  But  here,  as  elsewhere  in  Argen- 

lCf.  the  author’s  “Along  the  Andes  and  Down  the  Amazon,’’  p.  263,  for 
an  accbunt  of  the  men  and  women  of  Lima. 

230 


THE  LEARNED  CITY 


tina,  the  old  colonial  style  of  building  is  being  replaced  by 
others  of  an  entirely  different  character,  with  the  result 
that  the  city  is  gradually  assuming  an  air  of  modernity. 
Like  Tucuman,  it  is  well  provided  with  electric  lights,  trol- 
ley lines,  paved  streets  and  waterworks. 

One  of  the  show  places,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  city,  is 
the  great  Dique  San  Roque.  It  is  an  immense  reservoir 
which  supplies  energy  for  the  light  and  power  used  in 
Cordoba.  Besides  this,  it  furnishes  water  enough  to  irri- 
gate a quarter  of  a million  acres  of  land.  One  cannot  be 
long  in  Cordoba  before  being  asked,  “Have  you  seen  the 
Dique  San  Roque?”  If  the  answer  is  in  the  negative, 
one  is  immediately  told,  “Ah,  you  must  see  the  Dique. 
It  is  the  largest  body  of  water  which  has  ever  been  stored 
by  man.”  The  dam  was  constructed  by  French  engineers 
and  holds  nearly  nine  million  cubic  feet  of  water.  This  huge 
reservoir  and  the  immense  light  and  power  plants  operated 
by  it  are  in  marked  contrast  to  the  quiet  old  city  which 
retains  so  many  of  the  peculiar  features  which  distin- 
guished it  during  early  colonial  times. 

I was  greatly  interested  in  the  educational  institutions 
of  the  city,  many  of  which  it  was  my  privilege  to  visit. 
Among  these  was  a thoroughly  equipped  agricultural 
school  in  which  we  found  a goodly  number  of  intelligent 
and  ambitious  young  men  who  were  preparing  themselves 
for  future  work  on  the  great  estancias  of  the  Republic. 
There  are  many  schools  of  this  kind  in  Argentina,  and 
in  all  of  them  the  work  accomplished  is  deserving  of  the 
highest  commendation. 

My  greatest  surprise,  however,  was  in  the  convent 
schools  for  which  the  city  has  long  been  celebrated.  They 
are  numerous  and  well  patronized.  And  what  is  best  of 
all  is  the  splendid  training  which  the  nuns  give  to  the 
pupils  intrusted  to  their  care.  They  have  surely — teachers 
and  students — contributed  their  share  to  the  reputation 
which  Cordoba  has  so  long  enjoyed  as  La  Ciudad  Docta. 

231 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


It  was  for  centuries  said  of  tlie  old  university  town  of 
Bologna,  “Bologna  docet,”  because  of  the  thousands  of 
students  who  flocked  to  her  classic  halls  from  all  parts  of 
Europe.  Similarly  one  can  declare,  “Cordoba  teaches,” 
when  one  considers  the  number  of  earnest  and  learned 
instructors  one  finds  in  the  convent,  as  well  as  in  the  gov- 
ernment schools  of  this  venerable  home  of  letters  and 
culture. 

Rarely  have  I met  anywhere  brighter  or  more  eager 
students  than  those  who  greeted  me  in  the  convent  class- 
rooms of  Cordoba.  Their  faces  beamed  with  intelligence 
and  the  evidence  which  they  gave  me  of  their  accomplish- 
ments was  more  than  satisfactory.  But  I think  I was  even 
more  impressed  by  their  gentle,  refined  manners  than  by 
their  love  of  study  and  proficiency  in  classwork.  One 
could  see  at  a glance  that  the  admirable  home  training 
of  the  girls  had  been  perfectly  supplemented  by  the 
example  and  teaching  of  the  devoted  religieuses  who  ex- 
hibited a particular  interest  in  each  and  every  one  of 
their  young  charges.  Many  of  the  girls  were  descendants 
of  the  Conquistadores,  or  of  old  Spanish  grandees,  and 
they  retained  in  a marked  manner  all  the  beautiful  and 
noble  traits  of  character  for  which  their  noted  ancestors 
were  so  distinguished.  Their  sweetness  and  grace  and 
amiability  told  of  generations  of  culture  and  refinement 
as  well  as  of  centuries  of  years  of  intellectual  work  accom- 
plished by  the  learned  city  of  which  they  are  the  most 
exquisite  adornments. 

No  one  who  has  any  interest  in  the  history  or  litera- 
ture of  Argentina  will  leave  Cordoba  without  spending 
some  time  in  its  famous  old  university.  After  the  uni- 
versities of  Lima  and  Mexico,  it  has  the  honor  of  being 
the  oldest  university  in  the  Western  Hemisphere.  It  was 
founded  in  1613,  and  thus  antedates  the  foundation  of 
Harvard — the  oldest  university  in  the  United  States — by 
nearly  a quarter  of  a century.  Its  founder  was  Fray 

232 


THE  LEARNED  CITY 


Fernando  de  Trejo  y Sanabria,  the  fourth  Bishop  of 
Tucuman  and  the  first  creole  bishop  consecrated  in  the 
vice-royalty  of  Peru.  He  was  of  noble  lineage  and  closely 
related  to  Hernando  Cortes,  the  conqueror  of  Mexico,  and 
the  celebrated  Hernandarias  de  Saavedra  who  wrns  five 
times  governor  of  Paraguay  and  Rio  de  La  Plata. 

Before  his  consecration,  he  was  a distinguished  mem- 
ber of  the  Franciscan  order  and  noted  for  his  scholarship 
and  his  love  of  letters.  Immediately  after  taking  posses- 
sion of  his  see,  he  began  to  establish  schools  and  colleges 
in  various  parts  of  his  diocese  for  Indians  as  well  as  for 
Spaniards.  But  the  greatest  monument  to  his  memory  is 
the  University  of  Cordoba,  which  he  not  only  founded  but 
endowed.  Strange,  however,  as  it  may  appear,  his  statue 
which  now  adorns  the  courtyard  of  the  University  was  not 
erected  until  nearly  three  centuries  after  his  death. 

According  to  the  document  authorizing  its  foundation, 
the  University  was  to  be  the  home  of  Latin,  arts  and  the- 
ology.1 This,  with  varying  fortunes,  it  continued  to  be 
until  the  year  1800,  when  it  was,  by  royal  cedula,  raised 
to  the  rank  of  the  celebrated  Universities  of  Alcala  and 
Salamanca,  with  all  their  honors  and  preeminence.  Of 
this  institution,  reorganized  under  the  name  of  Univer- 
sidad  de  San  Carlos  y de  Nuestra  Senora  de  Monserrat, 
the  first  rector  was  the  illustrious  Dean  Funes,  who  occu- 
pies the  highest  rank  in  the  history  of  Argentina  not  only 
as  a churchman,  but  also  as  a scholar,  a statesman  and 
a patriot. 

1 ‘ ‘ Deseo  ver  fundados  en  esta  tierra  estudios  de  latin,  artes  i teologia 
como  medio  importantisimo  para  el  bien  espiritual  de  espanoles  e indios.  ’ ’ 

■ ‘ Bosque  jo  Historico  de  la  Universidad  • de  Cordoba,”  p.  393,  by  Juan  M. 
Garro,  Buenos  Aires,  1882.  For  an  interesting  account  of  the  life  and  labors 
of  the  founder  of  the  university,  see  Lozano,  ‘ ‘ Historia  de  la  Conquista  del 
Paraguay  Bio  de  la  Plata  y Tucuman,”  Tom.  V,  Cap.  XIII,  Buenos  Aires, 
1873-5.  See  also,  by  the  same  author  “Historia  de  la  Compania  de  Jesus  de 
la  Provincia  del  Paraguay,”  Tom.  I,  Lib.  VII,  Cap.  XIX,  and  Tom.  II,  Lib. 
VII,  Cap.  XX. 


233 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


If  tlie  value  of  a university  he  judged  by  the  achieve- 
ments of  its  alumni,  the  University  of  Cordoba  deserves 
a high  place  among  institutions  of  learning.  For  from  its 
learned  halls  went  forth  the  men  who  did  most  towards  se- 
curing the  independence  of  South  America  and  towards  es- 
tablishing, on  a solid  basis,  the  present  great  Republic 
of  Argentina.  Among  these  were  ecclesiastics  and  juris- 
consults, soldiers  and  statesmen  who  have  shed  luster  not 
only  on  their  alma  mater,  but  also  on  the  great  country  of 
which  they  were  such  loyal  and  distinguished  sons.  Their 
list  is  long.  Of  the  sixteen  ecclesiastics  who  signed  the 
declaration  of  independence  in  Tucuman  many,  if  not  the 
majority,  were  alumni  of  Cordoba.  Among  laymen  of 
note,  whose  names  are  on  the  registers  of  the  University, 
were  two  whose  memories  are  kept  green  in  Cordoba  by 
two  of  its  most  imposing  monuments.  One  of  them  was 
Jose  Maria  Paz,  the  ablest  tactician  among  the  generals 
of  the  war  of  emancipation.  The  other  was  Dalmacio  V elez 
Sarsfield,  the  most  eminent  of  the  nation’s  jurisconsults 
and  the  codifier  of  its  laws.  The  monument  erected  in  his 
honor,  in  the  plaza  named  after  him,  is  the  most  remark- 
able of  its  kind  in  the  whole  of  South  America. 

But  by  far  the  most  eminent  of  Cordoba’s  sons,  the 
glory  of  his  church  and  country,  was  the  patriot-priest, 
Gregorio  Funes,  better  known  in  Argentine  history  as 
Dean  Funes,  because  he  was  for  years  the  dean  of  the 
cathedral  of  his  native  city.  After  receiving  the  doc- 
torate of  theology  in  the  University  of  Cordoba,  he  wTent 
to  the  University  of  Alcala  in  Spain,  where  he  graduated 
in  civil  law.  He  was  afterwards,  as  was  the  custom  of 
the  time,  admitted  to  practice  in  Madrid.  So  profound  was 
his  knowledge  in  both  theology  and  law  that  he  wTas  made 
an  advocate  in  the  royal  councils.  Shortly  after  this  he 
returned  to  Cordoba,  where  he  was  appointed  vicar-general 
of  the  diocese,  and,  on  the  death  of  his  bishop,  he  became 
administrator  during  the  vacancy  of  the  see.  A few  years 

234  * 


THE  LEARNED  CITY 


subsequent  he  was  chosen  rector  of  the  University  and 
immediately  set  to  work  to  extend  the  curriculum  of 
studies  by  establishing  several  new  chairs — among  them, 
chairs  of  mathematics  and  experimental  physics.  How 
great  an  innovation  this  was  at  that  time  may  be  gathered 
from  the  fact  that  these  branches  were  then  practically 
ignored  in  some  of  the  most  celebrated  universities  of 
Europe.  Even  in  the  University  of  Salamanca,  which  was 
known  as  the  mother  of  sciences  and  letters — madre  de 
ciencias  y let r as — mathematics  was  absolutely  neglected 
from  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century  until  the 
last  quarter  of  the  eighteenth — an  interval  of  more  than 
one  hundred  and  fifty  years.1  The  same  may  be  said  of 
the  physical  and  natural  sciences,  not  only  in  Salamanca 
but  in  other  famous  European  universities.  Small  wonder, 
then,  is  it  that  the  establishment  by  Dean  Funes  of  chairs 
for  these  sciences  in  the  University  of  Cordoba  attracted 
widespread  attention  and  that  students  began  at  once  to 
flock  to  it  from  all  parts  of  South  America. 

The  preceding  facts  about  the  celebrated  dean  give 
some  idea  of  what  manner  of  man  he  was.  They  justify 
the  opinion  which  his  fellow-citizens  had  of  him  when  they 
sent  him  as  their  representative  for  the  installation  of 
the  new  government,  after  the  outbreak  of  the  revolution 
on  May  25,  1810.  They  chose  him  because  they  regarded 
him  as  “the  most  commanding  personality  in  the  interior 
of  the  republic,  the  one  of  the  greatest  talents,  and  the 
one  best  equipped”  for  the  work  which  they  wished  him 
to  perform.2 

1 Don  Diego  de  Torres,  a Spanish  author,  says  he  was  a student  in  the 
University  of  Salamanca  for  five  years  before  he  learned  of  the  existence  of 
such  things  as  the  mathematical  sciences.  Elsewhere  he  writes,  “Pedi  a la 
universidad  la  institution  de  catedra  de  matematicas,  que  estuvo  sin  maestro 
treinta  anos,  y sin  ensenanza  mas  de  ciento  cincueta.  ” “ Historia  del  Reinado 
de  Carlos  III  en  Espana,  ” Tom.  IV,  p.  480,  Madrid,  1856. 

2 ‘ ‘ La  personalidad  mas  decollante  del  Interior  de  la  republica,  la  de 
mayores  talentos  y de  mas  solida  preparacion. ” “El  Dean  Funes  en  la  His- 
toria Argentina,”  p.  39,  by  Mariano  de  Vedia  y Mitre. 

235 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Dean  Funes  was,  then,  the  man  of  the  hour  when  the 
greatest  revolution  in  history  was  proclaimed — a revolu- 
tion which  was  the  prelude  to  the  independence  of  an 
entire  continent.  He  was  a born  leader.  But  he  was  more 
than  this.  His  thorough  knowledge  of  theology  and  law, 
his  sense  of  justice,  and  his  devotion  to  duty  made  him 
always  a sane  and  safe  guide — just  such  a one  as  was 
needed  when  the  whole  fabric  of  social  order  was  threat- 
ened with  utter  destruction. 

What  confidence  his  countrymen  had  in  him  and  how 
they  appreciated  his  services  is  shown  by  the  positions  of 
responsibility  with  which  they  intrusted  him  and  the  honors 
which  they  showered  upon  him.  He  was  from  the  begin- 
ning one  of  the  guiding  spirits  of  the  revolution  and  his 
opinion  was  always  eagerly  sought  in  days  of  darkness 
and  doubt.  In  the  congress  of  Tucuman  he  took  a con- 
spicuous part  and  had  much  to  do  with  the  drafting  of 
the  declaration  of  independence.  After  the  congress  ad- 
journed to  Buenos  Aires,  it  was  he,  according  to  the  Ar- 
gentine historian,  Dr.  Lopez,1  who  was  delegated  to  draft 
the  constitution  of  the  United  Provinces  of  South  America. 
This  he  did  in  an  incredibly  short  time  and  to  the  satis- 
faction of  all  his  associates.  Of  the  twenty-four  deputies 
who  attached  their  signatures  to  this  constitution,  nine 
were  priests.  Dean  Funes  signed  it  as  deputy  from 
Tucuman  and  president  of  the  congress.  Besides  this,  he 
was  the  author  of  the  manifesto  which  was  published  with 
the  constitution.  Of  this  document  the  historian  Lopez 
says:  “it  should  figure  as  a precious  text  for  use  in  our 
classes  of  civic  instruction.  . . . Every  professor  should 
carry  it  in  his  pocket  for  daily  use  in  his  classes.”  2 

‘“Historia  de  la  Eepublica  Argentina,”  Tom.  VII,  p.  558,  Buenos  Aires, 
1888. 

2 ‘ ‘ Manifesto  que  debiera  figurar  eomo  un  precioso  texto  de  ensenanza  en 
nuestras  clases  de  instruccion  civica — Cada  profesor  debiera  llevarlo  en  su 
bolsillo  dia  A dia  al  entrar  en  sus  clases.”  “Manual  de  la  Historia  Argen- 
tina,” p.  574,  Buenos  Aires,  1910. 


236 


Cathedral  op  Cordoba. 


Statue  of  Fray  Fernando  Trejo  Statue  op  Dean  Funes  in 

Sanabria  in  the  Court  op  Cordoba, 

the  University.  Cordoba. 


THE  LEARNED  CITY 


He  held  at  various  times  the  position  of  representative, 
senator  and  president  of  the  national  congress,  all  of  which 
positions  he  filled  with  credit  to  himself  and  honor  to  his 
country. 

No  writer  of  his  time  had  a more  facile  pen  than  Dean 
Punes,  and  no  one  contributed  more  than  he  to  form  and 
direct  public  opinion  during  the  first  critical  years  of 
the  emancipation.  He  was  at  various  times  editor-in-chief 
of  several  periodicals,  including  two  of  the  most  impor- 
tant organs  of  the  government. 

But  the  literary  monument  on  which  the  fame  of  this 
eminent  ecclesiastic  chiefly  rests  is  his  “Ensayo  de  la  His- 
toric Civil  del  Paraguay,  Buenos  Aires  y Tucuman.”  In 
it  he  makes  a spirited  defense  of  the  justice  of  the  cause 
of  South  American  independence.  The  chief  object  of  the 
author,  as  his  friend,  Dr.  Don  Mariano  Lozano,  declared, 
was  to  hold  up  to  view  a faithful  picture  of  the  tyranny  of 
Spain  and  to  make  a complete  apology  for  the  revolution.1 

I have  adverted  to  some  of  the  achievements  of  this 
remarkable  priest  in  order  that  the  reader  may  have  some 
idea  of  the  kind  of  men  who  were  connected  with  the  Uni- 
versity of  Cordoba  as  students,  professors  and  rectors. 

Can  any  of  the  universities  in  the  United  States  point 
to  an  alumnus  who  was  more  distinguished  in  church  and 
state,  who  achieved  more  for  his  fellowmen,  or  who  had 
a wider  influence  in  shaping  the  destiny  of  a vast  con- 
tinent? I doubt  it.  The  writing  of  the  constitution  of 
what  is  now  known  as  Argentina  was,  as  we  have  seen, 
wholly  his  work.  The  Constitution  of  the  United  States 
is  the  joint  work  of  several  of  the  greatest  statesmen 
our  countiy  has  produced.  What  Hamilton,  Madison, 
Franklin  and  Jefferson  were  to  our  infant  nation  in  the 
United  States,  that  was  Dean  Funes  to  Argentina. 

'“Poner  a la  vista  el  cuadro  mas  fiel  de  la  tirania  de  Espania  y hacer  la 
apologia  mas  acabada  de  la  revolucion.  ” “ Ensayo  de  la  Historia  Civil  del 

Paraguay,  Buenos  Aires  y Tucuman,”  Tom.  I,  p.  21,  Buenos  Aires,  1910. 

237 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


And  yet  when  this  eminent  son  of  Argentina  died  full 
of  years  in  his  native  city,  the  notice  of  his  death  in  the 
leading  paper  contained  only  two  lines.  Many  of  the  pa- 
pers made  no  mention  of  it  whatever.  Like  his  illustrious 
co-workers  for  the  cause  of  independence,  Belgrano  and 
San  Martin,  he  passed  away  almost  forgotten  hy  his  coun- 
trymen whom  he  had  served  so  long  and  so  faithfully. 
He  was,  however,  spared  the  ignominies  which  were  heaped 
on  Belgrano  after  his  great  victories  of  Salta  and  Tucu- 
man.  He  did  not,  like  San  Martin,  spend  long  years  of 
his  life  in  a foreign  land,  held  up  to  obloquy  by  those  of 
his  countrymen  who  were  too  little  to  understand  loftiness 
of  character  and  nobility  of  soul.  But,  like  Dean  Funes, 
they  shared  in  the  apotheosis  which  the  nation,  after  a long 
and  strange  delay,  decreed  to  the  greatest  of  her  heroes 
and  patriots.  San  Martin’s  remains  now  repose  in  a mag- 
nificent mausoleum  in  the  cathedral  of  Buenos  Aires. 
Those  of  Belgrano  have  been  reverently  placed  in  a noble 
sarcophagus  in  Santo  Domingo  of  the  same  city,  while  as 
a tardy  act  of  recognition  of  the  invaluable  services  of 
Dean  Funes  to  his  country,  the  national  government,  on 
the  occasion  of  its  first  centenary  of  independence,  de- 
creed that  a statue  should  he  erected  to  his  memory  in 
La  Ciudad  Docta,  to  whose  glory  he  contributed  more  than 
any  one  man,  except,  possibly,  the  illustrious  founder  of 
the  University — Fray  Fernando  de  Trejo  y Sanabria. 

In  the  economical  history  of  Argentina,  Cordoba  is  also 
noted  for  having  been,  for  nearly  two-thirds  of  a cen- 
tury— 1602-1665 — what  the  Spaniards  called  a puerto  seco 
— a port  of  entry  in  the  interior  of  the  country.  To  us  a 
custom  house  like  this  particular  one  seems  a very  strange 
thing  indeed.  But  it  was  one  of  the  things  demanded  by 
the  peculiar  commercial  policy  which  then  prevailed  in 
the  Spanish  dominions. 

From  the  time  of  the  conquest,  Spain  had  claimed  a 
monopoly  of  the  trade  with  her  colonies  beyond  the  seas. 

238 


THE  LEARNED  CITY 


All  other  nations  were  excluded  from  traffic  with  the  Span- 
ish possessions  in  the  New  World.  And  all  trade  between 
Spain  and  her  colonies  was  in  the  hands  of  certain  monopo- 
lists in  Cadiz  and  Seville.  But  this  was  not  all.  The  most 
extraordinary  feature  of  this  monopoly  was  the  manner 
in  which  commodities  of  all  kinds,  irrespective  of  their  des- 
tination, were  shipped. 

All  merchandise  intended  for  America  was  forwarded 
by  two  large  fleets,  convoyed  by  a squadron  of  warships. 
One  was  called  the  galeones,  and  the  other  the  fota.  The 
flota  took  charge  of  the  trade  between  Spain  and  Mexico. 
The  fleet  of  galleons  which  carried  the  cargoes  destined 
for  Tierra  Firme,  Peru  and  Chile,  went  first  to  Cartagena, 
where  goods  were  delivered  for  the  merchants  of  New 
Granada  and  Venezuela.  From  Cartagena  it  proceeded  to 
Puerto  Bello,  on  the  north  coast  of  the  Isthmus  of  Pan- 
ama. From  this  point  all  merchandise  consigned  to  Peru 
and  the  province  of  Rio  de  la  Plata  was  dispatched  on  the 
backs  of  mules  to  Panama  City.  Here  it  was  transshipped 
to  Callao  and  Arica,  whence  it  was  carried  by  mules  over 
the  Andes  to  Potosi  in  Upper  Peru — Bolivia — and  thence 
via  Jujuy,  Tucuman  and  Cordoba  to  Buenos  Aires.1 

But  what  was  the  reason  for  this  long,  expensive,  round- 
about trade-route?  Why  were  not  goods  sent  directly  from 
Spain  to  Buenos  Aires?  These  were  questions  asked  by 
the  inhabitants  of  the  Rio  de  la  Plata  country  for  nearly 
three  centuries.  It  suffices  here  to  state  that  the  shipping 
monopolists  of  Cadiz  and  Seville  so  willed  it,  and  against 
their  arbitrary  policy  there  was  no  recourse. 

As  may  readily  be  understood,  the  freight  rates  by 
this  long  route  were  enormous.  These,  coupled  with  the 
long  time  required  for  the  transport  of  goods  from  Spain 
to  Buenos  Aires,  almost  paralyzed  trade  between  the 
mother  country  and  her  colonies  on  the  Rio  de  la  Plata. 

1 Gf.  map  facing  p.  68  in  “Les  Origines  Argentines,”  by  Robert  Levillier, 
Paris,  1912. 


239 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


But  tliis  was  not  all.  There  were  duties  and  taxes 
of  all  kinds,  besides  premiums,  to  be  paid  on  account  of 
losses  sustained  at  the  hands  of  English,  French  and  Dutch 
pirates  and  corsairs  along  the  Spanish  Main  and  in  the 
South  Sea,  as  well  as  at  the  hands  of  robbers  and  Indians 
on  the  mainland,  especially  between  Salta  and  Buenos 
Aires.  The  result  was  that  when  the  merchandise  finally 
reached  Buenos  Aires  a price  was  put  on  it  which  was 
often  from  ten  to  twenty  times  its  original  cost  in  Spain. 

The  duty  on  goods  in  transit  through  Cordoba  alone 
was  fifty  per  cent.  This  was  in  addition  to  the  duties 
and  taxes  collected  at  various  other  places.  The  Seville 
and  Cadiz  monopolies  lasted  until  1778,  when  Charles  III 
promulgated  a law  establishing  commercial  relations  be- 
tween the  American  colonies  and  all  the  ports  of  Spain. 
But  the  doors  of  commerce  were  closed  to  the  other  na- 
tions of  Europe,  until  Cisneros,  the  last  viceroy  of  Bio  de 
la  Plata,  opened  the  port  of  Buenos  Aires  to  the  merchant- 
men of  all  nations. 

Naturally,  while  Cordoba  was  a port  of  entry  and  a 
depository  for  commodities  in  transit,  it  flourished  at  the 
expense  of  Buenos  Aires.  And  the  long  trade-route  across 
the  Andes  and  the  Pampa  from  the  Pacific  to  the  Atlantic 
was  a benefit  to  a number  of  intervening  towns  like  Jujuy 
and  Tucuman.  During  the  long  period  that  goods  for 
Buenos  Aires  were  shipped  from  Spain  by  way  of  Panama 
and  Peru,  Tucuman  was,  among  other  things,  the  center 
of  an  important  carting  industry.  For  most  of  the  enor- 
mous two-wheeled  carts,  which  were  used  for  hauling  mer- 
chandise across  the  Pampa,  were  made  in  Tucuman. 

To  give  the  reader  some  idea  of  the  difficulties  of  trans- 
portation by  this  method,  when  there  were  no  roads  and 
when  the  plains  between  Salta  and  Buenos  Aires  were 
practically  impassable  during  the  rainy  season,  it  suffices 
to  state  that  it  required  a whole  year  to  make  a single 
round  trip  covering  nine  hundred  leagues  between  these 

240 


THE  LEARNED  CITY 


two  points,  and  that  the  best  constructed  carts  were  use- 
less after  two  such  trips. 

One  is  not  surprised  to  learn  that  this  strange  restraint 
put  upon  the  trade  of  Buenos  Aires,  one  of  the  best  mari- 
time sites  on  the  Atlantic  coast  of  South  America,  gave 
rise  to  a big  contraband  trade  in  which  the  colonists,  as 
well  as  French,  Dutch  and  English  smugglers,  took  part, 
to  the  great  detriment  of  Spanish  commerce.  Nor  is  one 
surprised  to  learn  that  it  was  one  of  the  causes  which 
led  to  the  eventful  insurrection  of  the  colonists  in  Buenos 
Aires  against  the  mother  country  on  May  25,  1810 — an 
insurrection  which  was  indorsed  by  the  declaration  of  in- 
dependence in  Tucuman,  and  found  its  consummation  in 
the  battle  of  Ayacucho  in  1824,  which  was  the  Waterloo 
of  Spanish  domination  in  South  America. 

Most  writers,  in  discussing  Spain’s  trade  monopoly 
with  her  colonies  and  her  circuitous  trade-routes  between 
the  Guadalquivir  and  the  Rio  de  la  Plata,  are  loud  in  their 
condemnation  of  what  they  pronounce  a fatuous  and  de- 
structive commercial  policy.  No  doubt  the  system,  so  long 
in  vogue,  did  greatly  hamper  the  development  of  the 
colonies,  but  the  Spanish  Government  acted  in  accordance 
with  a theory  that  was  accepted  as  the  best  by  every  mer- 
cantile nation  of  the  time.  To  say  that  the  commercial 
regulations  of  Spain  as  compared  with  those  of  other  na- 
tions of  the  time  were  absurd,  or  that  its  commercial  pol- 
icy was  condemned  by  the  saner  systems  of  other  coun- 
tries during  the  period  in  question,  is  to  ignore  history. 

The  principles  which  guided  Spanish  commerce  were 
the  same  as  those  which  were  accepted  and  defended  by 
the  ablest  statesmen  and  political  economists  of  Great 
Britain.  Thus  Adam  Smith,  in  his  “Wealth  of  Nations,” 
indicates  in  a few  words  what  was  the  approved  trade 
policy  of  the  time  when  he  declares:  “In  the  trade  to 
America  every  nation  endeavors  to  engross,  as  much  as 
possible,  the  whole  market  of  its  own  colonies  by  fairly 

241 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


excluding  all  other  nations  from  any  direct  trade  to 
them.”1  And  the  Earl  of  Chatham,  one  of  the  greatest 
of  English  statesmen,  was  so  thoroughly  in  accord  with 
this  principle  that  he  did  not  hesitate  to  affirm,  in  speak- 
ing for  Great  Britain : “Let  the  sovereign  authority  of  this 
country  over  the  colonies  be  asserted  in  as  strong  terms 
as  can  be  devised  and  be  made  to  extend  to  every  point  of 
legislation  whatsoever.  That  we  may  bind  their  trade, 
confine  their  manufactures,  and  exercise  every  power 
whatsoever,  except  that  of  taking  money  out  of  their  pocket 
without  their  consent.  ’ ’ 2 

It  was  in  view  of  Britain’s  well-known  commercial  pol- 
icy, during  the  period  we  are  now  considering,  that  a recent 
English  writer  declares:  “The  general  commercial  and 
colonial  policy  of  Spain  was  at  least  as  liberal  as  that  of 
England,  and  was,  during  the  half  century  preceding  the 
revolution,  infinitely  more  liberal,  and,  if  we  make  allow- 
ance for  the  enlargement  of  the  human  mind  in  a hundred 
and  fifty  years,  it  must  be  admitted  that  the  present  com- 
mercial policy  of  the  South  American  republics  compares 
unfavorably  with  the  Spanish  system.  ’ ’ 3 

Another  British  authority  who  has  made  a profound 
study  of  the  subject  exhibits  Spain’s  colonial  policy  in  quite 
a different  light  from  that  in  which  it  has  so  long  been 
viewed.  “At  the  opening  of  the  nineteenth  century,” 
writes  Mr.  P.  A.  Kirkpatrick,  former  scholar  of  Trinity  Col- 
lege, “the  dominions  of  the  Spanish  monarchy  extended 
through  seventy-nine  degrees  of  latitude,  from  San  Fran- 
cisco to  Chiloe ; in  the  extreme  north  and  south  the  line  was 
thin,  but  it  was  unbroken ; and  the  Castilian  language  was 
spoken  through  a distance  equal  to  the  length  of  Africa. 
Over  a great  part  of  two  continents  a heterogeneous  popu- 

1 Vol.  II,  p.  129,  London,  1904. 

2“A  History  of  the  Right  Honorable  William  Pitt,  Earl  of  Chatham,” 
Vol,  II,  pp.  73,  74,  by  the  Rev.  Francis  Thackeray,  London,  1827. 

SW.  A.  Hirst  in  “Argentina,”  pp.  53,  54,  London,  1912. 

242 


THE  LEARNED  CITY 


lation  were  not  unwilling  vassals  of  the  Spanish  Crown; 
whatever  internal  reasons  may  have  existed  for  revolution, 
the  actual  impetus  came  from  without,  for  it  was  only  upon 
the  fall  of  the  Spanish  monarchy  in  the  Peninsula  that  these 
American  dominions  were  detached;  indeed,  it  would  be 
almost  as  true  to  say  that  Spain  fell  away  from  the  Indies 
as  to  say  that  the  Indies  fell  away  from  Spain. 

‘ ‘ Spanish  rule  in  America  is  often  regarded  as  a gigan- 
tic and  short-lived  mistake ; but  in  fact  its  long  continuance 
is  only  less  noteworthy  than  its  vast  extent  and  the  grad- 
ual diffusion  of  Spanish  ideas  and  ways  through  that 
extent.  One  aspect  of  that  rule  is  remarkable;  from  the 
middle  of  the  sixteenth  century  the  dominant  note  of  the 
Spanish  dominion  is  peace,  a peace  unknown  in  those 
regions  before  or  after  the  Spanish  era.  Indian  warfare, 
though  serious  enough  to  those  inhabiting  the  threatened 
regions,  was  trivial  compared  to  some  disturbances  of  the 
Pax  Britannica  in  the  nineteenth  century;  no  external 
enemy  ever  penetrated  more  than  a few  leagues  from 
the  coast;  the  army  in  Spanish  America  was  little  more 
than  a coastguard  and  a military  police  on  some  of  the 
frontiers.  If  there  is  something  of  oriental  immobility  in 
this  long  and  peaceful  continuance,  there  is  something  of 
Latin  stability  and  permanence  both  in  local  methods  and 
in  general  result.  Spain  in  America  inherited  and  pre- 
served something  of  the  majesty  of  Roman  Peace.”  1 

1 “ The  Cambridge  Modern  History,”  Vol.  X,  pp.  276-77,  New  York,  1907. 

Mr.  Hirst,  op.  cit.,  pp.  63,  64,  discussing  the  same  subject,  writes:  “The 

Spaniards  had  not  the  constructive  genius  of  the  Bomans,  and  both  in  the 
mechanical  contrivances  of  civilization  and  in  the  moral  force  which  founds 
laws  and  institutions  they  were  far  inferior.  But  they  played  very  much  the 
same  part  in  South  America  which  the  Bomans  did  in  Europe.  France,  Spain, 
Portugal  and  Italy  are  not  more  distinctively  Boman  than  Argentina,  Chile, 
Peru  and  Colombia  are  Spanish.  As  Spain  was  in  language  and  institutions 
the  most  completely  Bomanized  of  all  European  countries,  so  she  has  left  her 
mark  upon  the  west  more  distinctively  than  any  other  colonizing  power.  For 
good  or  evil,  Buenos  Aires,  Lima  and  the  rest  are  Spanish  cities,  and  there 
seems  no  reason  to  believe  that  they  will  ever  be  anything  else,  and  the  Spanish 

243 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


influence  seems  likely  to  be  as  permanent  as  the  Roman  in  southern  Europe. 
Nor  will  any  candid  student  of  the  history  of  the  continent  be  unwilling  to 
acknowledge  that  it  was  no  small  achievement  for  a nation  to  build  up  and 
administer  such  an  empire,  and  he  will  regret  that  ignorance  and  prejudice 
have  prevented  the  world  from  giving  the  praise  due  to  a vast  political  and 
religious  experiment  which,  in  spite  of  extraordinary  difficulties,  was  success- 
ful as  far  as  its  own  character  was  concerned,  and  which,  when  it  broke  down 
by  reason  of  the  weakness  of  the  mother  country,  left  behind  it  all  its  institu- 
tions, political,  religious  and  social.  Governors  became  dictators  or  presidents, 
but  everything  remains  substantially  Spanish.” 


CHAPTER  XII 


FAMOUS  SCENES  AND  VICTORIES 

It  was  about  midnight  when  we  left  Cordoba,  after  an 
elaborate  banquet  given  us  by  the  Governor,  at  which  were 
present  representatives  of  the  leading  families  of  the 
Learned  City  as  well  as  all  the  higher  officials  of  the  gov- 
ernment. The  professors  of  the  University  were  also  there 
in  full  force.  This  gave  us  a better  opportunity  of  meet- 
ing many  charming  men  and  women  whom  we  had  not  seen 
at  other  gatherings  in  the  city  and  of  listening,  also,  to 
the  fervid  eloquence  of  several  of  Cordoba’s  orators.  No 
people  in  the  world  have  greater  facility  in  speaking  than 
Latin  Americans,  and  never  is  their  utterance  more  fluent 
or  their  speech  more  impassioned  than  when  addressing  an 
honored  guest  in  an  after-dinner  discourse.  For  it  is,  in- 
deed, quite  frequently  a veritable  discourse,  particularly 
when  the  occasion,  like  the  one  referred  to,  gives  the 
speaker  an  opportunity  to  dilate  on  the  glories  of  two  great 
nations  like  Argentina  and  the  United  States  and  to  em- 
phasize the  supreme  importance  of  maintaining  the  most 
perfect  bond  of  union  between  two  countries  whose  des- 
tiny is  to  dominate  the  Western  Hemisphere. 

There  is  little  deserving  of  note  between  Cordoba  and 
Mendoza.  The  landscape  is  the  same  as  most  of  that  along 
the  eastern  foothills  of  the  Andes — arid,  dusty,  treeless, 
except  in  a few  smiling  valleys  or  where  the  land  enjoys 
the  benefits  of  irrigation,  which  is  now  everywhere  receiv- 
ing more  attention  from  year  to  year,  both  from  private 
individuals  and  from  the  state  and  federal  governments 
as  well. 


245 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Mendoza,  which  counts  about  sixty  thousand  inhab- 
itants, is  one  of  the  oldest  cities  of  Argentina.  But,  unlike 
nearly  all  the  other  cities  and  towns  of  the  Republic,  its 
foundation  was  due  not  to  colonists  from  Spain  or  Peru, 
but  to  a band  of  Conquistadores  from  Chile.  As  early  as 
1559  Garcia  de  Mendoza,  governor  of  Chile,  sent  Pedro 
Castilio  to  annex  the  district  called  Cuyo  which  embraced 
the  present  provinces  of  Mendoza,  San  Juan  and  San  Luis 
and  which  for  more  than  two  centuries  formed  a part  of 
Chile.  It  was  only  in  1776  that  it  was  formally,  by  a 
special  decree  of  the  Spanish  monarch,  transferred  to  the 
vice-royalty  of  Buenos  Aires. 

The  Chilean  Conquistadores  were  induced  to  cross  the 
Cordillera  by  the  fame  which  the  region  to  the  east  then 
enjoyed  of  being  a land  of  plenty — “ en  que  se  lialla  que 
comer ” — a fame  which  the  industry  and  enterprise  of  its 
inhabitants  now  justify  more  than  ever  in  its  past  his- 
tory. An  English  traveler,  writing  of  Mendoza  in  the  early 
part  of  the  last  century,  says:  “If  a man  could  but  bear 
an  indolent  life,  there  can  be  no  spot  on  earth  where  he 
might  be  more  indolent  and  more  independent  than  at 
Mendoza,  for  he  might  sleep  all  day,  and  eat  ices  in  the 
evening,  until  his  hour-glass  was  out.  Provisions  are 
cheap,  and  the  people  who  bring  them  quiet  and  civil.”1 
Its  atmosphere  of  dolce  far  niente,  like  that  of  Cordoba 
during  t1  - same  period  and  that  of  Damascus  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  then  won  the  hearts  of  all  visitors,  and  made  them 
desire  to  tarry  as  long  as  possible  within  its  tranquil  and 
hospitable  precincts. 

But  the  Mendoza  of  today  is  not  the  city  that  so  fasci- 
nated the  traveler  in  the  first  quarter  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  For,  in  1861,  it  was  devastated  by  one  of  the  most 
frightful  earthquakes  recorded  in  South  American  history. 
The  loss  of  life  was  considerably  greater  than  in  the  ter- 

1 Head,  F.  B.  “ Rough  Notes  Taken  During  Some  Rapid  Journeys  Across 
the  Pampas  and  Among  the  Andes,”  p.  70,  71,  London,  1826. 

246 


FAMOUS  SCENES  AND  VICTORIES 


rible  earthquake  of  Caracas  in  1812,  when  no  less  than  ten 
thousand  people  met  their  death  without  a moment’s  warn- 
ing. For,  out  of  a population  of  fifteen  thousand  in  Men- 
doza, nearly  thirteen  thousand  were  buried  beneath  the 
ruins  of  the  ill-fated  city. 

A French  geologist,  M.  Bravard,  who  was  living  in  Men- 
doza at  the  time,  was  led  by  his  researches  to  predict  the 
destruction  of  the  city  by  an  earthquake.  He,  too,  per- 
ished with  the  thousands  of  natives.  One  of  the  survivors 
of  the  catastrophe,  Don  Jaime  Albarracin,  was  talking  to 
M.  Bravard,  when  he  heard  a terrific  crash  and  then  found 
himself  with  a broken  leg  under  the  ruins  of  his  home. 
Here  he  was  imprisoned  for  nearly  three  days  and  nights 
before  he  was  extricated. 

‘‘The  horror  of  my  situation,”  he  declares,  in  referring 
to  the  second  night  of  his  horrible  experience,  “was  in- 
creased by  a dreadful  thirst;  the  very  air  I breathed  was 
thick  with  dust  and  smoke.  It  seemed  an  interminable 
night.  The  second  day  I heard  voices,  and,  summoning  all 
my  strength,  called  out  loudly  for  assistance.  All  was 
again  silent  for  a couple  of  hours,  till  the  afternoon,  when 
I woke  from  a short  sleep  to  hear  footsteps  quite  close  to 
me.  The  first  man  who  approached  me  replied  with  a 
coarse  insult,  when  I begged  him  to  lift  the  beam  under 
which  I lay.  His  comrades  were  no  less  inhuman,  for 
they  were  one  of  the  numerous  bands  of  banditti  attracted, 
like  birds  of  prey,  to  the  scene  of  disaster.  They  had  seen 
the  flames  afar  off  on  the  Pampa  and  came  in  scent  of 
booty.”1  He  finally  was  able  to  bribe  a robber  with  his 
gold  watch  to  remove  him  from  the  debris,  and  thus  nar- 
rowly escaped  the  fate  which  befell  so  many  of  his  fellow- 
citizens. 

“So  complete  was  the  destruction  that  when  a new  gov- 
ernor was  appointed  a year  later,  and  the  site  marked  out 

1 Mulhall,  M.  G.  “Between  the  Amazon  and  Andes,”  pp.  127-131,  Lon- 
don, 1881. 


247 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


for  reconstruction,  tlie  government  could  find  no  heirs, 
or  claimants  on  behalf  of  three-fourths  of  the  families  of 
the  old  city.”  But  few  vestiges  of  it  remain.  The  prin- 
cipal one  is  a part  of  the  old  cathedral  to  which  is  affixed 
a tablet  on  which  is  inscribed: 

Ruinas  del  Templo  de  San  Augustin  Destkuido 
POR  EL  TerREMOTO  DEL  20  DE  MarZO  DE  1861. 

It  is  remarkable  that  while  Mendoza,  Esteco  and  Oran 
have  frequently  suffered  from  serious  earthquakes,  neigh- 
boring cities,  like  Tucuman  and  Salta,  have  always  been 
immune  from  such  visitations.  This  singular  fact  seems 
to  indicate,  as  Senor  Groussac  suggests,  that  there  is  a 
line  of  earth  shocks,  as  there  is  a path  of  cyclones,  for  it 
has  almost  been  demonstrated  that  the  earthquakes  in 
question  have  no  connection  with  volcanic  eruptions.1 

Contrary  to  what  might  be  supposed,  the  awful  catas- 
trophe of  1861  has  not  interfered  in  the  least  with  the 
development  of  Mendoza.  Like  Lisbon,  which  in  1750  was 
suddenly  converted  into  a heap  of  ruins,  it  was  soon  rebuilt 
and  is  now  much  larger  and  more  beautiful  than  ever.  But 
the  people  have  taken  the  necessary  precautions  against 
the  recurrence  of  a disaster  like  the  one  which  proved  so 
destructive  half  a century  ago.  The  streets  are  unusu- 
ally wide,  and  the  houses  are  built  of  materials  that  are 
best  adapted  to  resist  seismic  disturbances  of  all  kinds. 
Many  of  the  houses  are  of  wood,  while  others  are  of  a 
peculiar  tenacious  kind  of  adobe.  For  larger  structures, 
reinforced  concrete  is  now  being  used  and  when  the  author- 
ities of  the  city  realize  the  advantages  of  structural  steel 
buildings,  as  illustrated  in  the  San  Francisco  earthquake, 
there  is  no  doubt  that  all  large  buildings  of  more  than  one 
story  will  be  strengthened  by  frameworks  of  steel,  which 

1“Meinoria  Historica  y Descriptiva  de  la  Provincia  de  Tucuman,”  p.  95, 
Buenos  Aires,  1882. 


248 


FAMOUS  SCENES  AND  VICTORIES 


will  make  them,  as  nearly  as  possible,  proof  against  even 
the  most  violent  earth-tremors. 

The  streets  are  most  liberally  provided  with  shade  trees 
of  all  kinds.  Among  them  are  poplars,  weeping  willows, 
mulberries  and  various  species  of  acacia.  In  the  extensive 
yards  and  gardens  around  the  homes  of  the  Mendozans 
are  fruit  trees  of  both  the  temperate  and  sub-tropical  zones 
— peaches,  pears,  apples,  oranges,  bananas,  plums,  nisperos 
and  tangerines  of  every  variety  and  from  every  clime. 

As  in  most  other  parts  of  Latin  America,  the  exteriors 
of  the  dwelling-houses  of  Mendoza  are  remarkable  for  their 
garish  colors.  They  appear,  indeed,  to  exhibit  all  the  va- 
riety of  tints  found  in  an  artist’s  color-box.  But  one  for- 
gets all  this  on  entering  the  comfortable  and  tastefully 
arranged  patios,  in  which  there  is  a profusion  of  the  most 
beautiful  flowers  and  vines  and  where  the  air  is  redolent 
of  the  most  delicate  perfumes. 

But  the  feature  of  which  the  people  of  Mendoza  are 
particularly  proud  is  their  public  park.  It  embraces  more 
than  eight  thousand  acres,  and,  when  the  plans  for  beau- 
tifying it  will  have  been  carried  out,  it  will  take  rank  with 
the  great  parks  of  the  world.  Even  now  the  people  of 
the  city  like  to  compare  it  to  the  Bois  de  Boulogne  and  they 
even  speak  of  making  it  some  day  the  rival  in  beauty  of 
the  great  Parisian  pleasure  resort. 

There  are  several  well-conducted  schools  in  Mendoza, 
but  the  one  which  gave  us  the  most  pleasure  was  the  kinder- 
garten. I had  called  there  with  an  Argentine  friend  and 
was  so  delighted  with  it  that  I told  Colonel  Roosevelt  he 
must  by  all  means  see  it.  We,  accordingly,  made  an  ap- 
pointment with  those  in  charge  of  the  institution  to  visit 
it  when  the  children  were  all  present.  The  reception  given 
us  by  the  hundreds  of  well-dressed  and  perfectly  trained 
little  boys  and  girls  is  something  we  shall  never  forget. 
Their  songs,  dances,  and  speeches,  some  of  them  in  Eng- 
lish, were  admirable  and  were  a credit  to  both  pupils  and 

249 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


teachers.  I never,  in  any  part  of  the  world,  saw  a kinder- 
garten where  the  buildings  and  equipment  were  better 
adapted  to  the  work  in  view  or  where  better  results  are 
achieved.  Colonel  Roosevelt  was  enthusiastic  to  a degree. 
“By  George,  this  is  wonderful!  It  is  the  best  thing  we 
have  yet  seen.  I would  not  have  missed  it  for  anything.” 

No  account  of  Mendoza  would  be  complete  without  some 
notice  of  its  chief  industry — viniculture.  It  is  to  this  flour- 
ishing city  what  the  sugar-industry  is  to  Tucuman — the 
principal  source  of  its  wealth  and  prosperity. 

The  vine  was  originally  introduced  into  Mendoza  by 
the  Spaniards  who  came  from  Chile.  But  it  was  not  until 
the  great  Pacific  Railroad  connected  the  city  with  Buenos 
Aires  and  other  parts  of  the  Republic  that  the  wine-indus- 
try assumed  really  notable  proportions.  An  idea  of  the 
rapid  development  of  this  great  source  of  wealth  may  be 
had  when  one  learns  that  Mendoza’s  vineyards  are  today 
more  than  ten  times  as  extensive  as  they  were  thirty 
years  ago. 

During  the  last  two  decades,  special  attention  has  been 
given  to  scientific  viniculture  and  the  results  have  been 
really  remarkable.  Expert  viniculturists  have  been 
brought  from  France,  Spain  and  Italy.  Large  reservoirs 
have  been  constructed  for  irrigating  the  vineyards,  and 
the  most  modern  machinery  for  making  wine  has  been 
introduced.  This,  together  with  the  propitious  climate 
and  fertile  soil,  specially  adapted  to  the  growth  of  the 
vine,  sufficed,  in  less  than  ten  years,  to  make  Argentina 
the  chief  wine-producing  nation  of  the  New  World.  So 
rapid,  indeed,  has  been  the  development  of  this  industry 
that  the  Province  of  Mendoza  alone,  with  an  area  about 
equal  to  that  of  Illinois,  now  produces  twice  as  much  wine 
as  the  whole  of  the  United  States.1  Tens  of  millions  of 
dollars  are  invested  in  the  business,  and  its  output  is  rap- 

1Cf.  “En  Argentine  de  La  Plata  & la  Cordillere  des  Andes,”  p.  198  et 
seq.,  by  M.  Jules  Huret,  Paris,  1913. 

250 


FAMOUS  SCENES  AND  VICTORIES 


idly  increasing.  More  than  a hundred  thousand  acres  are 
already  planted  with  vines  and  the  amount  of  land  in  the 
province  equally  well  adapted  to  their  cultivation  is  many 
times  this  amount. 

Some  decades  ago  only  creole  vines  were  found  here. 
Now  the  great  majority  of  them  are  varieties  which  have 
been  imported  from  France  and  Italy.  There  are  vine- 
yards of  all  sizes,  from  those  embracing  two  or  three  acres 
to  those  embracing  several  hundred. 

The  number  of  people  interested  in  wine-making  may 
be  judged  by  the  fact  that  there  are  considerably  more 
than  a thousand  bodegas— wine-cellars — in  the  province. 
That  the  business  pays  well  is  shown  by  the  returns  on 
the  capital  invested,  which  are  frequently  as  high  as 
twenty-five  to  thirty  per  cent.  Its  effect  on  the  growth 
of  the  city  is  no  less  remarkable,  for  in  less  than  a score 
of  years  its  population  has  more  than  trebled. 

We  visited  the  establishments  of  several  of  the  chief 
wine-growers  and  were  amazed  at  the  size  and  the  equip- 
ment of  the  plants.  The  machinery  employed  for  crush- 
ing the  grapes,  for  conveying  the  juice  to  the  large  vats 
where  it  is  allowed  to  ferment,  and  for  bottling  the  wine, 
is  of  the  most  approved  kind  and  is  operated  by  elec- 
tricity. The  cellars  and  warehouses  are  of  colossal  size. 
The  cost  of  one  of  them  was  nearly  half  a million  dol- 
lars. 

But  nothing,  probably,  impressed  us  more  than  the 
number  and  immensity  of  the  casks  found  in  a single 
bodega.  In  one  bodega  we  saw  no  fewer  than  two  hun- 
dred casks,  each  containing  six  thousand  gallons  of  wine. 
Besides  these  enormous  casks  of  oak,  each  of  which  is 
larger  than  the  famous  Heidelberg  tun,  we  were  shown 
more  than  fifty  vast  receptacles  made  of  cement  and  lined 
with  glass  which  held  nearly  seventy  thousand  gallons  each. 
The  annual  product  of  several  of  these  plants  runs  from 
four  to  six  million  gallons.  This  is  said  to  be  far  larger 

251 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


than  that  of  any  similar  establishment  in  France,  or  Italy, 
where  wine-making  is  such  an  important  industry. 

A most  remarkable  thing  to  us  was  to  find  that  many 
of  the  largest  and  most  successful  wine-growers  were 
Italians,  and  men  who,  on  their  arrival  in  Mendoza,  were 
poor  day-laborers.  Several  of  those  whom  we  met  are  now 
multi-millionaires,  and  their  business  is  still  developing 
apace.  One  of  them  who  had  come  from  a town  in  Venezia 
told  me  about  a visit  he  had  made  the  preceding  year  to 
his  old  home  and  how  he  had  surprised  his  fellow-townsmen 
by  his  arrival  in  a special  train.  “Per  Bacco,”  he  said 
with  pardonable  pride,  “they  made  big  eyes  when  they  saw 
me  and  my  family  traveling  like  the  King  of  Italy.  ” 

This  man,  however,  was  only  one  of  the  many  Italians 
living  in  various  parts  of  Argentina  who  by  their  energy 
and  enterprise  have  in  a few  years  risen  from  poverty  to 
opulence.  And  several  of  them,  I may  remark,  were 
analpliabets — men  whom  certain  of  our  people,  if  they 
had  their  way,  would  exclude  from  our  country.  Argen- 
tina, however,  let  it  be  said  in  her  praise,  gives  immigrants 
of  this  class  a cordial  welcome,  for  she  realizes  that  her 
present  flourishing  condition  is  due  more  to  the  thrifty, 
industrious  sons  and  daughters  of  sunny  Italy — whether 
literate  or  illiterate — than  to  the  immigrants  of  any  other 
nation. 

But  the  supreme  glory  of  Mendoza  is  not  its  educa- 
tional institutions;  not  its  beautiful  park;  not  its  wealth- 
producing  vineyards.  It  is  rather  its  undisputed  claim 
to  be,  in  the  words  of  the  noted  bard,  Juan  Maria  Gutierrez : 

La  ciudad  famosa 

Nido  que  fue  del  aguila  Argentina — 

the  famous  city  which  was  the  nest  of  the  Argentine  eagle. 

As  Tucuman  exults  in  being  the  cradle  of  liberty,  be- 
cause the  act  of  independence  was  drawn  up  and  promul- 

252 


FAMOUS  SCENES  AND  VICTORIES 


gated  there,  so  Mendoza  glories  in  being  the  city  in  which 
that  declaration  was  first  given  effect.  It  was  here  that 
the  first  great  offensive  operations  were  begun  against  the 
mother  country,  and  that,  too,  at  a time  when  emancipa- 
tion seemed  hopeless;  when  the  United  Provinces  were 
divided  and  when  petty  jealousies  had  pitted  one  against 
the  other;  when  the  power  of  the  central  government  was 
impotent  to  enforce  order,  or  to  safeguard  life  and  prop- 
erty; when  the  foundations  of  public  prosperity  were  ex- 
hausted; when  the  bonds  of  social  union  were  snapped; 
when  crime  and  injustice  were  rampant  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  land;  when  broods  of  blatant 
doctrinaires  were  everywhere  sowing  the  seeds  of  discord 
and  paving  the  way  for  internecine  strife;  when  the  social 
fabric  was  upset  and  the  country  seemed  irretrievably 
doomed  to  anarchy  and  chaos. 

And  it  was  at  a time,  also,  when  the  enemies  of  inde- 
pendence were  stronger  and  in  a better  condition  than 
ever  to  oppose  the  aspirations  of  the  patriots.  The  revo- 
lution in  Cuzco  was  suppressed;  Chile  was  subjugated; 
Venezuela  was  reconquered.  The  royalists  were  still 
continuing  the  struggle  in  Quito  and  New  Granada,  for 
they  could  count  on  never-failing  reinforcements  to  make 
the  authority  of  the  Spanish  monarch  respected  through- 
out the  entire  extent  of  South  America.  Their  triumphs 
had  given  great  prestige  to  their  cause.  On  all  sides  their 
forces  were  augmented  by  deserters  from  the  rapidly  van- 
ishing army  of  the  insurgents.  Many  believed  that  all 
hope  of  triumph  by  the  patriots  was  lost,  and  that  the 
revolution  must  necessarily  collapse  before  the  well-trained 
and  well-equipped  legions  of  the  Spanish  Crown.  They 
were,  accordingly,  preparing  to  lay  down  their  arms  and 
to  seek  safety  in  exile  from  the  vengeance  of  the  enemy. 
The  outlook  was  indeed  gloomy,  even  to  the  most  cour- 
ageous and  optimistic.  The  Spanish  general,  Morillo,  dom- 
inated the  north  of  the  continent  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 

253 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Pacific.  Bolivar  was  vanquished  and  a refugee  in  Jamaica. 
To  complete  tlie  terrible  series  of  disasters  which  had  be- 
fallen the  champions  of  liberty,  the  Spaniards  had  just 
won  the  great  victory  of  Sipe-Sipe  in  Upper  Peru,  which, 
in  the  words  of  the  Spanish  historian,  Torrente,  “ corto  la 
cabeza  de  la  revolution  — beheaded  the  revolution.  So 

convinced,  indeed,  were  his  countrymen  that  this  was  the 
case  that  a Te  Deum  was  intoned  in  all  the  cathedrals  of 
the  Spanish  monarchy — something  that  was  unexampled 
since  the  battle  of  St.  Quentin.  And  the  King  of  France, 
the  Czar  of  Russia,  and  the  other  monarclis  of  the  Holy 
Alliance  warmly  congratulated  Ferdinand  VII  on  the 
decisive  victory  of  his  arms  over  his  insurgent  colo- 
nies. 

But  it  was  just  at  this  critical  juncture — when  the 
sacred  temple  of  liberty  was  draped  in  mourning,  when 
Spain  had  an  army  of  a hundred  thousand  veterans  in 
South  America  and  was  preparing  to  send  twenty  thousand 
more  to  crush  out  the  last  vestige  of  the  revolution — it  was 
then,  when  all  was  desolation  and  darkness,  that  the  long- 
looked-for  day  of  liberty  was  at  hand. 

But  only  one  man  in  South  America  knew  it.  He  had, 
for  years,  been  quietly,  but  effectively,  taking  measures  to 
secure  it.  He  had  gone  to  Mendoza,  as  governor  of  Cuvo, 
with  that  object  in  view.  Day  and  night  he  labored  un- 
ceasingly in  organizing  and  equipping  an  army  which  he 
purposed  leading  to  victory.  Most  of  this  army  was  re- 
cruited in  the  poor  and  sparsely  populated  province  of 
which  he  was  governor.  And  it  was  the  people  of  this 
same  province  that  supplied  him  money  and  munitions. 
The  women  of  Mendoza  despoiled  themselves  of  their 
jewels  to  help  on  the  cause  of  freedom.  “Diamonds  and 
pearls,”  they  exclaimed,  “are  unbecoming  in  the  present 

1 Cf . “Historia  Jeneral  de  Chile,”  Tom.  Ill,  pp.  248,  249,  by  Diego  Barroa 
Arana,  Santiago,  1884-1897,  and  ‘‘Historia  de  la  Revolucion  Hispano-Amer- 
ieana,  ” Tom.  II,  p.  145,  by  D.  Mariano  Torrente,  Madrid,  1830. 

254 


FAMOUS  SCENES  AND  VICTORIES 


critical  condition  of  the  fatherland  which  demands  sacri- 
fices from  all  its  sons,  and,  rather  than  drag  the  chains  of 
a new  captivity,  we  offer  our  jewels  on  its  altar.”  Little 
could  he  hoped  for  from  the  central  government  of  the 
United  Provinces.  The  nation  was  bankrupt  and  the  few 
remaining  troops,  after  the  disaster  of  Sipe-Sipe,  were 
needed  along  the  Rio  de  la  Plata  and  on  the  southern 
border  of  Upper  Peru.  It,  then,  had  reason  to  consider 
itself  fortunate  if  it  could  prevent  the  enemy  from  gaining 
possession  of  the  capital  and  undoing  all  the  work  that 
had  been  accomplished  during  the  previous  six  years  of 
warfare. 

But  who  was  this  prophet  who  thus  peered  into  the 
future  and  sighted  victory  from  afar?  Who  was  this  mili- 
tary genius  who  was  to  strike  the  chains  from  his  people 
and  drive  the  legions  of  Spain  from  the  continent  over 
which  the  banner  of  Castile  had  so  proudly  floated  for 
more  than  three  centuries? 

It  was  Jose  de  San  Martin,  the  liberator  of  Chile  and 
Peru;  the  man  whom  the  eminent  Chilean  writer,  Vicuna 
Mackenna,  declares  was  “el  mas  grande  de  los  crillos  del 
Nuevo  Mundo” — the  greatest  of  the  creoles  of  the  New 
World1 — one  of  whom  it  has  been  said  that  “he  was  not 
a man  but  a mission.” 

After  the  crushing  defeat  of  the  patriot  forces  at  Sipe- 
Sipe,  San  Martin  saw  that  the  road  to  Lima,  by  way  of 
Upper  Peru,  was  forever  closed  to  any  army  operating 
from  the  United  Provinces  of  La  Plata.  It  was  then  that 
he  formulated  the  plan  of  campaign  whose  objective  was 
the  crossing  of  the  Andes  and  the  liberation  of  Chile.  But 
this  far-reaching  plan  San  Martin  carefully  guarded  as 
a profound  secret,  until  he  was  ready  to  strike.  He  said 
nothing  about  it,  even  to  his  most  intimate  friends.  The 
first  intimation  of  his  purpose  was  given  only  after  the 
disastrous  battle  of  Sipe-Sipe,  on  November  29,  1815,  and 

l“El  General  D.  Jose  de  San  Martin,”  p.  11,  Santiago,  1902. 

255 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


then  in  a manner  that  was  as  dramatic  as  it  was  charac- 
teristic of  the  man  himself. 

In  the  midst  of  the  terror  which  had  taken  possession 
of  all  minds  after  the  ront  of  Rondeau’s  army  in  Upper 
Peru — a rout  that  particularly  dispirited  the  little  army 
of  Cuyo,  the  only  nucleus  for  the  time  being  of  a truly 
organized  force — San  Martin  gave  a banquet  to  which 
he  invited  all  his  officers.  Never  was  he  more  frank  or 
agreeable  than  on  that  occasion.  While  dessert  was  be- 
ing served,  he  rose  and  in  a ringing  voice  that  was  vibrant 
with  conviction  he  proposed  a general  toast:  viz.,  “To  the 
first  ball  that  shall  be  fired  against  the  oppressors  of  Chile 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Andes.”  These  words  found  an 
echo  in  the  hearts  of  all  present.  Confidence  was  born 
anew.  From  that  moment  the  passage  of  the  Andes  ceased 
to  be  an  idea  and  began  to  be  a visible  act.  The  American 
revolution  then,  for  the  first  time,  assumed  the  offensive; 
and  the  fortunes  of  war  were  thenceforward  on  the  side 
of  the  patriots.1 

In  view  of  these  facts,  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  people 
of  Mendoza  glory  in  their  city  as  “the  nest  of  the  Argen- 
tine eagle  ’ ’ ; that  they  regard  their  province  as  another 
Macedonia  and  San  Martin  as  its  Alexander;  that  they 
honor  their  former  governor,  although  born  on  tbe  oppo- 
site side  of  the  Republic,  as  the  greatest  of  their  sons, 
and  that,  in  addition  to  the  sumptuous  memorials  which 
had  previously  been  raised  in  his  honor  in  Mendoza,  as 
well  as  throughout  the  nation,  the  people  should  erect  as  a 
crowning  tribute  to  his  memory — as  they  have  during  the 
past  year — one  of  the  most  imposing  monuments  of  the 
kind  in  the  world,  a monument  worthy  to  stand  beside  the 
colossal  memorial  of  St.  Charles  Borromeo  on  Lake 
Maggiore,  and  of  Dante  Aligheiri  in  Trent;  that,  when 
speaking  of  his  marvelous  passage  of  the  Andes,  they 
should  declare  it  a far  more  remarkable  achievement 

1 Cf.  Mitre,  ‘ ‘ Historia  de  San  Martin,  ’ ’ Tom.  I,  pp.  462,  463. 

256 


FAMOUS  SCENES  AND  VICTORIES 


than  the  crossing  of  the  Alps  by  Hannibal  or  Bonaparte. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  enter  into  details  respecting 
the  wonderful  campaign  which  gave  San  Martin  posses- 
sion of  Chile,  the  part  of  Spain’s  possessions  which  was 
designated  as  “the  citadel  of  South  America.”  I must, 
however,  be  permitted  to  direct  attention  to  a few  points 
which  exhibit  his  exceptional  genius  as  a commander  and 
administrator  as  well  as  a remarkable  judge  of  character 
and  as  one  who  possessed  the  faculty  of  exciting  enthusi- 
asm among  his  soldiers  and  making  them  perform  prodi- 
gies of  valor.  When  San  Martin’s  plan  became  known 
outside  of  Cuyo,  it  was  decried,  even  by  the  most  experi- 
enced military  men  of  the  United  Provinces,  as  foolhardy 
and  impossible.  Small  detachments  of  the  Conquistadores, 
it  is  true,  had  crossed  the  Andes  by  the  Uspallata  Pass 
on  their  way  from  Santiago  to  the  land  which  was  rich 
in  the  means  of  subsistence.  They  had,  during  the  early 
period  of  the  revolution,  been  followed  by  occasional  com- 
panies of  Chilean  and  Argentine  volunteers  who  were  bat- 
tling in  a common  cause.  No  one,  however,  had  ever 
dreamed  of  the  possibility  of  leading  a large  army  across 
the  snow-clad  barrier  of  the  cloud-piercing  Cordillera.  But 
San  Martin  had,  through  trustworthy  agents  and  engineers, 
made  a thorough  reconnaissance  not  only  of  the  historic 
pass  mentioned,  but  also  of  several  others  to  the  north 
and  to  the  south  of  it,  over  which  he  purposed  sending 
simultaneously  effective  bodies  of  troops  who  were  sud- 
denly to  attack  the  enemy  at  a designated  date. 

Let  it  be  said  to  the  credit  of  San  Martin  that  so  great 
was  the  confidence  of  his  army  in  their  general’s  ability 
and  judgment  that  the  criticisms  of  outsiders  and  the  pre- 
dictions of  disaster  made  on  them  no  impression  what- 
ever. They  stood  loyally  by  their  commander  and  eagerly 
awaited  the  order  to  march. 

Of  the  four  thousand  men  who  constituted  “The  Army 
of  the  Andes,”  as  this  famous  expeditionary  force  was 

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THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


called,  no  one,  probably,  more  eagerly  awaited  the  order 
to  advance  against  the  enemy  than  did  a young  Franciscan 
monk  who  bad  for  a time  served  as  a chaplain  to  the  revo- 
lutionary forces.  Ilis  name  was  Fray  Luis  Beltran  and 
he  was  destined  to  contribute  more  towards  the  success 
of  the  passage  of  the  Andes  and  of  the  campaign  in  Chile 
than  any  other  one  person,  except  the  commander-in-chief. 
He  was,  according  to  San  Martin  himself,  el  muelle  real — 
the  mainspring — which  gave  activity  and  movement  in  the 
hour  of  his  country’s  direst  need. 

One  of  San  Martin’s  greatest  difficulties  was  securing 
the  necessary  arms  and  ammunition  for  his  men.  Little 
could  be  hoped  for  from  the  central  government.  The  gen- 
eral was,  therefore,  left  to  his  own  resources.  But  these 
difficulties  vanished  after  he  had  secured  the  services  of 
Padre  Beltran.  Although,  in  many  respects,  a self-taught 
man,  he  exhibited,  in  a striking  degree,  much  of  the  genius 
and  inventive  power  which  long  ages  before  so  distin- 
guished his  illustrious  brother  in  religion,  Friar  Boger 
Bacon.  “He  was  by  intuition  a mathematician,  a physicist 
and  a chemist.  As  the  result  of  observation  and  practice 
he  was  also  an  artilleryman,  a maker  of  watches  and  fire- 
works. He  was  a carpenter,  an  architect,  a blacksmith, 
a draughtsman,  a ropemaker  and  a physician.  He  was  ex- 
pert in  all  the  manual  arts,  and  what  he  was  ignorant  of 
he  readily  acquired  solely  by  the  exercise  of  his  extraor- 
dinary natural  faculties.  To  all  this  he  united  a vigorous 
constitution,  a martial  bearing,  and  a kind  and  sympa- 
thetic nature.” 

He  was  just  the  man  that  the  patriot  cause  then  needed, 
and  San  Martin  no  sooner  discovered  his  extraordinary 
talents  than  he  intrusted  to  him  the  establishment  of  an 
armory  for  the  manufacture  of  arms  and  ammunition. 
“At  the  breath  of  Padre  Beltran  the  forges  flamed  and 
the  metals  that  were  to  be  converted  into  the  implements 
of  warfare  were  melted  like  wax.  Like  a Vulcan  in  a 

258 


FAMOUS  SCENES  AND  VICTORIES 


monk’s  habit,  he  forged  the  arms  of  the  revolution.  In 
the  midst  of  the  noise  of  hammers  striking  anvils,  and 
the  grating  of  files  and  saws,  he  superintended  the  work 
of  three  hundred  workmen,  each  of  whom  he  instructed 
in  the  task  assigned  him.  His  voice  was  thus  so  affected 
that  he  remained  hoarse  until  the  end  of  his  days.  He 
cast  cannon,  shot  and  shell,  employing  the  metal  of  bells 
which  he  lowered  from  their  towers  by  ingenious  apparatus 
of  his  own  invention.  He  made  gun-carriages,  cartridges, 
saddles,  knapsacks  and  shoes.  He  forged  horseshoes  and 
bayonets  and  repaired  damaged  muskets.  And  with  his 
begrimed  hand  he  drew  on  the  wall  of  his  workshop,  with 
a coal  from  the  forge,  designs  of  the  contrivances  by  which 
war  material  was  to  he  transported  over  the  dizzy  paths 
of  the  Andes  and  through  which  liberty  was  to  be  con- 
veyed to  Chile  and  to  the  whole  of  South  America.  In 
fine,  he  was,  as  Mitre  well  observes,  “the  Archimedes  of 
‘ The  Army  of  the  Andes.  ’ ” 1 

At  last,  thanks  to  Padre  Beltran’s  ceaseless  activity, 
the  Army  of  the  Andes  was  fully  equipped  and  ready  to 
begin  the  farthest-reaching  campaign  in  the  war  of  inde- 
pendence. The  departure  of  the  expedition  was  to  be  as 
dramatic  as  had  been  San  Martin’s  toast  two  years  before. 
And  it  was  to  be  signalized  by  a religious,  as  well  as  by  a 
military,  demonstration.  For  San  Martin,  following  the 
counsels  of  his  friend,  Belgrano,  had  introduced  religious 
practices  into  his  army  as  an  element  of  moral  discipline.2 

1 For  further  information  regarding  the  achievements  of  this  remarkable 
soldier-priest,  the  reader  is  referred  to  Mitre,  op.  cit.,  Tom.  I,  p.  534  et  seq. ; 
G.  Espejo,  “El  Paso  de  los  Andes,”  p.  362  et  seq.,  Buenos  Aires,  1882;  and 
Vicente  G.  Quesada,  “Revista  de  Buenos  Aires,”  Tom.  I,  page  534. 

2 Belgrano,  writing  to  San  Martin  about  the  conserving  of  a religious 
spirit  among  his  men,  bids  him  have  before  his  mind  not  only  the  military 
leaders  of  the  people  of  Israel  but  also  those  of  the  Gentiles  and  the  great 
Julius  Caesar  who  never  failed  to  invoke  the  immortal  gods  and  to  decree 
thanksgiving  for  his  victories.  Mitre,  op.  cit.,  Tom.  I,  p.  258,  259. 

It  is  gratifying  to  record  that  San  Martin  and  Belgrano  were  united  to 
each  other  by  the  strongest  bonds  of  admiration  and  friendship.  “Belgrano 

259 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLANDS 


Every  night  before  taps  the  rosary  was  said  by  companies. 
On  Sundays  the  soldiers  heard  mass,  at  which  the  chaplain 
preached  a sermon  in  which  he  dilated  on  the  moral  virtues, 
on  heroism  in  the  defense  of  country,  on  the  love  of  liberty 
and  on  obedience  to  the  higher  authorities  of  the  state. 

The  great  function  referred  to  took  place  on  the  eve 
of  the  departure  of  the  army  to  the  front.  The  account  of 
it,  as  given  by  Mitre,1  is  an  interesting  commentary  on  the 
manners  and  customs  of  the  time  and  takes  one  back  to  the 
days  of  the  Crusades.  It  indicates,  too,  better  than  any- 
thing else  the  deeply  religious  spirit  that  pervaded  the 
patriot  army  from  the  commander-in-chief  to  the  last  man 
in  the  ranks — a spirit  which  aroused  their  enthusiasm  as 
nothing  else  could,  and  which  actually  made  them  believe 
that  they  were  invincible. 

Following  the  example  of  his  distinguished  friend,  Bel- 
grano,  San  Martin  proclaimed  Our  Lady  of  Mercy,  to 
whom  the  people  of  Mendoza  had  a particular  devotion, 
the  patroness  of  the  Army  of  the  Andes.  But  in  keeping 
with  his  grave  character  as  a disciplinarian,  he  dignified 
this  act  with  special  formalities.  He  discussed  the  matter 
with  his  chief  officers  and  in  concert  with  them  issued  the 
proclamation  as  the  order  of  the  day. 

On  the  day  appointed  for  the  imposing  function,  the 
army,  with  the  general  staff  at  the  head,  and  all  in  full 
parade,  moved  from  its  encampment  to  the  city  of  Men- 
doza, which  was  gayly  decked  with  flower-covered  trium- 
phal arches,  banners,  streamers  and  silk  tapestries  which 
adorned  the  fronts  of  the  buildings.  Amid  the  peals  of 
bells  of  eight  churches  and  the  enthusiastic  acclamations 
of  the  multitude,  the  troops  formed  in  the  great  plaza. 

died  in  the  belief  that  San  Martin  was  the  tutelary  genius  of  South  America. 
San  Martin  always,  to  the  end  of  his  days,  honored  the  memory  of  his  illus- 
trious friend  as  one  of  the  purest  glories  of  the  New  World.”  Mitre,  ibidem, 
p.  197. 

‘Op.  cit.,  Tom.  I,  page  570  et  seq.  Cf.  also  ‘‘El  Paso  de  los  Andes,”  p. 
481  et  seq.,  by  G.  Espeso,  Buenos  Aires,  1882. 

260 


FAMOUS  SCENES  AND  VICTORIES 


The  statue  of  the  chosen  patroness  of  the  army  was  con- 
veyed from  the  Church  of  San  Francisco,  accompanied  by 
all  the  clergy,  regular  and  secular,  and  guarded  by  the 
bayonets  of  her  nine  soldiers.  At  the  head  of  the  proces- 
sion marched  the  captain-general,  the  governor,  the  mu- 
nicipal corporation,  the  civil  employees  and  a vast  throng 
of  the  city’s  inhabitants.  In  the  cathedral  was  deposited 
the  army’s  banner,  a banner  which  had  been  embroidered 
by  the  ladies  of  Mendoza  and  adorned  with  precious  stones. 
After  it,  as  well  as  the  general’s  baton  of  command,  had 
been  blessed  according  to  the  prescribed  ritual,  San  Mar- 
tin attached  it  to  its  staff,  when  it  was  saluted  by  a salvo 
of  twenty-one  guns.  He  then  placed  his  baton  in  the 
right  hand  of  Our  Lady  of  Mercy,  as  Belgrano  had  pre- 
viously done  when,  after  the  Battle  of  Tucuman,  he  had 
proclaimed  her  the  general  of  the  army  of  Peru.1  San 
Martin  then  took  the  banner  and  ascended  a platform  which 
had  been  erected  in  the  plaza.  The  troops  all  presented 
arms,  the  drums  beat  a march  of  honor,  after  which  there 
prevailed  a deep  religious  silence.  The  general,  with  un- 
covered head  and  sonorous  voice,  then  exclaimed:  “Sol- 
diers ! This  is  the  first  banner  of  independence  which  lias 
been  blessed  in  America.”2  After  this  he  waved  it  three 
times,  which  act  was  greeted  by  soldiers  and  people  by  a 
thunderous  “Viva  la  Patria!”  In  a still  louder  voice,  he 
added:  “Soldiers!  Swear,  as  I do,  to  uphold  it  and  die 
in  its  defense.”  “We  swear,”  all  replied  in  unison.  A 
triple  discharge  of  musketry  and  twenty-five  guns  then 
saluted  the  flag  ot  redemption  of  half  of  South  America. 
This  was  the  flag  that  was  to  cross  the  Andes,  to  wave 
in  triumph  along  the  coast  of  the  Pacific,  to  float  over  the 
foundations  of  two  new  republics,  to  aid  in  the  emancipa- 

1 Some  time  afterwards,  San  Martin,  in  imitation  of  Belgrano,  named  Our 
Lady  of  Mercy  generala  of  the  Army  of  the  Andes  and  placed  his  baton  at 
her  feet. 

2“Soldados!  Esta  es  la  primera  bandera  independiente  que  se  bendice 
en  America,”  Mitre,  op.  cit.,  I,  571. 

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THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


tion  of  still  another,  and,  sixty-fonr  years  later,  to  serve 
as  the  funeral  pall  to  the  mortal  remains  of  the  repatriated 
liberator  of  South  America,  when  they  were  finally  de- 
posited in  the  noble  mausoleum  in  the  cathedral  of  Buenos 
Aires.1 

The  Army  of  the  Andes  crossed  the  Cordillera  at  six 
different  points.  The  two  most  widely  separated  passes 
were  thirteen  hundred  miles  from  each  other.  The  object 
of  this  was  to  weaken  the  enemy’s  forces  by  separating 
them.  By  a skillfully  devised  spy  system,  San  Martin  had 
deluded  the  captain-general  of  Chile  into  the  belief  that 
the  invasion  would  take  place  by  way  of  the  southern 
passes.  His  real  plan  he  kept  a secret  until  the  last  mo- 
ment, when  he  gave  the  generals  of  divisions  pen-and-ink 
plans  of  the  routes  they  were  to  follow,  accompanied  with 
notes  and  written  instructions. 

The  main  divisions  of  the  army  crossed  by  the  Uspal- 
lata  and  Los  Patos  passes  with  orders  to  meet  on  the  west- 
ern flank  of  the  Cordillera  near  the  Sierra  de  Chacabuco. 
It  was  here  where,  according  to  plans  drawn  up  seven 
months  previously,  San  Martin  had  located  the  strategic 
point  of  his  whole  campaign  and  where  he  expected  to 
strike  the  first  blow  for  the  independence  of  Chile.2 

1 Cf.  Mitre,  op.  cit.,  Tom.  I,  p.  568  et  seq.,  and  Sr.  D.  Damian  Hudson ’s 
“Kecuerdos  Historieos  sobre  la  Provinccia  de  Cuyo”  in  Bevista  de  Buenos 
Aires,  Tom.  V,  p.  183  et  seq. 

The  first  thing  we  were  taken  to  see,  on  our  arrival  in  Mendoza,  was  this 
famous  flag,  which  is  still  reverently  preserved  in  the  municipal  palace. 

* The  reserve  of  the  army,  which  crossed  the  Andes  by  way  of  Los  Patos, 
was,  it  is  worthy  of  note,  under  the  command  of  a man  whoso  name  fills  many 
interesting  pages  in  Chilean  annals.  This  was  the  famous  Irishman,  Bernardo 
O’Higgins,  who,  after  the  passage  of  the  Andes,  became  the  virtual  dictator 
of  Chile.  He  was  the  son  of  the  equally  famous  Ambrosio  O’Higgins,  who, 
from  a poor  errand  boy  in  Ireland,  rose  to  the  highest  executive  position  in 
the  Spanish  colonies — that  of  viceroy  of  Peru.  He  was,  indeed,  the  only  one 
of  lowly  birth  who  ever  attained  to  such  dignity  in  South  America  under 
Spanish  rule.  San  Martin  had  a great  admiration  for  Bernardo  O’Higgins 
as  a commander  and  entrusted  him  with  the  execution  of  some  of  the  most 
difficult  operations  connected  with  Chilean  emancipation.  There  was  also  an- 

262 


FAMOUS  SCENES  AND  VICTORIES 


I was  glad  that  our  route  lay  over  the  Uspallata  Pass; 
for  we  were  thus  led  among  scenes  made  historic  by  both 
San  Martin  and  the  Conquistadores.  True,  San  Martin, 
in  going  to  Chile  for  the  first  time,  went  by  the  way  of 
Los  Patos,  but  subsequently,  during  his  Chilean  cam- 
paign, he  crossed  the  Andes  several  times  by  way  of 
Uspallata.  This  pass  lies  to  the  south  of  giant  Aconcagua, 
while  the  pass  of  Los  Patos  is  on  the  northern  flank. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  describe  the  scenery  along  this 
famous  pass,  for  I have  elsewhere  1 given  accounts  of  other 
Andean  passes,  some  of  which  are  much  loftier  while 
others  are  much  more  celebrated  and  of  greater  historical 
interest  than  Uspallata.  Nor  do  I purpose  to  give  a topo- 
graphical account  of  the  route  followed  by  the  Army  of 
the  Andes,  or  enumerate  the  countless  difficulties  which 
it  encountered  and  surmounted  before  reaching  its  ob- 
jective on  the  western  versant  of  the  great  mountain  bar- 
rier which  separates  Argentina  from  Chile.  But  I must 
say  that  as  our  train  slowly  wended  its  way  along  the 
meandering  Rio  Mendoza,  from  the  western  verge  of  the 
Pampa  to  the  tunnel  which  pierces  the  crest  of  the  Cor- 
dillera, I could  not  help  admiring,  as  I had  so  often  admired 


other  son  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  it  may  here  be  added,  to  whom  San  Martin  was 
deeply  attached.  That  was  his  favorite  aide-de-camp  O ’Brien,  who  always 
proved  himself  worthy  of  his  illustrious  chief’s  fullest  confidence. 

The  Chilean  historian,  B.  Vicuna  Mackenna,  gives  the  reason  in  charac- 
teristic fashion,  for  San  Martin’s  predilection  for  his  dashing  cavalry  officer 
when  he  declares: 

“Tenia  esa  predileccion  mui  buenas  razones  de  ser,  porque  O’Brien  era 
hermoso  i corpulento  como  un  titan,  valiente  eomo  el  mas  afilado  sable  de  su 
rejimiento,  jinete  como  un  centauro,  i mas  que  todo  esto,  callado  como  una 
piedra,  o mas  bien,  como  un  enigma,  porque,  afuera  de  irlandes,  havia  olividado 
el  ingles  i no  habia  aprendido  el  espanol.  Fuera  de  esto,  O’Brien  era  un 
soldado  cumplido,  porque  en  la  vida  no  le  gustaron  eon  pasion  sino  dos  cosas; 
las  batallas  i las  buenas  mozas,  que,  a decir  verdad,  todo  es  guerra.  ” “Rela- 
cion  Historica,  ” in  the  chapter  entitled  “El  Jeneral  San  Martin,”  p.  1, 
Santiago. 

1 In  “Up  the  Orinoco  and  Down  the  Magdalena”  and  “Along  the  Andes 
and  Down  the  Amazon.” 


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before  in  other  parts  of  South  America,  the  dauntless  cour- 
age of  the  Conquistadores  in  confronting  and  overcoming 
obstacles  which  seemed  to  be  insurmountable.  And  as  we 
passed  through  the  narrow  defiles  and  along  the  edges  of 
deep  chasms,  where  there  was  barely  room  for  a bridle 
path  before  the  advent  of  the  railway  engineers,  I mar- 
veled at  the  daring  of  San  Martin  in  essaying  the  passage 
of  the  Andes  with  an  army  of  four  thousand  men,  and 
still  more  at  the  wonderful  success  which  crowned  his 
stupendous  undertaking  in  the  short  space  of  three  weeks. 

The  distance  from  Mendoza  to  Chacabuco  by  the 
tortuous  Uspallata  Pass  is  nearly  three  hundred  miles. 
By  Los  Patos  Pass  it  is  considerably  greater.  For  most 
of  the  way  the  Cordillera  is  quite  bare  of  vegetation.  Only 
here  and  there  are  patches  of  cactus,  mosses  and  thorny 
shrubs.  Near  the  cloud-  and  snow-covered  crest  of  the 
Andes,  the  only  living  thing  that  is  visible  is  an  occasional 
condor  wheeling  in  airy  circles  above  “traces  of  the  world 
in  embryo  as  it  emerged  from  chaos  in  the  process  of 
creation,”  where 

“Die  unbegreiflich  hohen  Werke 
Sind  herrlich  wie  am  ersten  Tag.” 

For  this  reason,  it  was  necessary  for  San  Martin  to 
provide  food  for  his  men  and  forage  for  the  thousands 
of  pack  animals  required  for  the  transportation  of  guns 
and  stores.  But  he  proved  himself  equal  to  the  emergency 
and  reached  his  goal  with  his  army  in  the  best  of  con- 
dition, on  the  day  and  almost  at  the  hour  predicted  before 
leaving  Mendoza. 

The  cumbre,  the  highest  point  of  the  Uspallata  Pass 
attained  by  the  invading  army,  is  nearly  thirteen  thousand 
feet  high — more  than  a mile  higher  than  the  celebrated 
pass  of  the  Little  St.  Bernard,  crossed  by  Hannibal,  and 
nearly  a mile  higher  than  the  pass  of  the  Great  St.  Ber- 

264 


FAMOUS  SCENES  AND  VICTORIES 


nard,  which  was  made  so  famous  by  the  expedition  of 
Bonaparte  into  Italy. 

I must,  however,  in  the  interest  of  historical  truth, 
state  that  the  manner  in  which  both  Napoleon  and  San 
Martin  crossed  the  Alps  and  the  Andes  Avas  not,  as  is  al- 
Avays  represented  by  artists,  on  splendid  white  chargers 
which  scented  from  afar  the  smoke  of  battle  and  “ whose 
burnished  caparisons  dazzled  the  eye  with  their  splendor.” 
Both  of  these  great  commanders  crossed  the  snoAV-crowned 
mountains  in  question  on  the  backs  of  the  humble,  sure- 
footed mule.  In  this  they  exhibited  their  usual  good  sense 
and  possibly  thus  saved  themselves  from  a premature  death 
in  a yaAvning  abyss  or  a roaring  torrent. 

We  all  were  eager  to  see  the  noted  statue  of  “The 
Christ  of  the  Andes,”  which  stands  on  the  cumbre  on  the 
boundary  line  between  Argentina  and  Chile,  but  the  unfa- 
vorable condition  of  the  old  stage-road,  which  is  little  used 
since  the  completion  of  the  trans-Andine  tunnel,  and  the 
limited  time  Ave  had  at  our  disposition,  obliged  us  to  forego 
what  Avould,  for  many  reasons,  lurce  given  us  the  keenest 
pleasure.  The  erection  of  this  noble  monument  to  the 
Prince  of  Peace,  like  the  proclamation  by  Belgrano  and 
San  Martin  of  Nuestra  Senora  de  la  Merced  as  the  gen- 
eralissimo of  the  patriot  army,  is  another  of  the  countless 
evidences  of  the  remarkable  religious  sentiment  which  so 
distinguishes  the  people  of  Spanish  origin,  and  which 
makes  them  such  models  of  chivalry  and  exalted  ideal- 
ism. 

Every  child  in  Argentina  and  Chile  is  familiar  Avith 
the  story  of  this  superb  monument,  and  the  idea  it  em- 
bodies; but,  more  is  the  pity,  little  is  knoA\Tn  about  it  out- 
side of  these  two  countries.  And  still  less,  to  judge  by 
the  terrific  world-Avar  AAThich  is  now  waging,  is  there  a dis- 
position to  imitate  the  generous  spirit  of  conciliation  and 
the  splendid  example  of  amity  given  the  Avorld  by  those 
far-off  nations  under  the  Southern  Cross.  For  this  reason, 

265 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


a word  about  the  placing  of  the  statue  of  Christo  Redentor 
on  the  site  it  now  occupies  will  not  be  out  of  place. 

From  the  time  of  the  emancipation  of  Spanish  Amer- 
ica, there  had  been  much  uncertainty  about  the  boundaries 
between  the  various  republics.  For  more  than  half  a 
century,  the  inhabitants  of  these  countries  were  so  occu- 
pied in  organizing  their  systems  of  administration,  devel- 
oping commerce  and  industry  and  holding  the  Indians 
in  check,  that  they  had  little  time  or  inclination  to  discuss 
or  determine  the  extent  of  jurisdiction  of  their  respective 
governments.  Besides,  the  centers  of  population  were  so 
few  and  so  widely  separated  from  one  another,  and  the 
extent  of  territory  of  each  nation  was  so  immense,  that  the 
exact  line  of  demarcation  between  the  divers  republics  was 
regarded  as  a matter  of  minor  importance. 

But  a time  at  length  arrived  when  the  questions  of 
boundary  lines  had  to  be  settled  once  for  all.  The  contro- 
versy respecting  the  line  of  demarcation  between  Chile  and 
Argentine — to  confine  ourselves  to  these  two  countries — 
at  one  time  became  so  bitter  that  war  seemed  inevitable. 
But  when  hostilities  seemed  imminent,  the  two  nations, 
whose  sons  had  fought  side  by  side  in  the  war  of  independ- 
ence, agreed  to  submit  the  matter  to  arbitration.  The 
award  of  the  arbitrator,  the  late  Edward  VII,  which  was 
announced  in  1902,  was  promptly  accepted  by  the  two 
litigant  nations.  Bloodshed  was  thus  avoided,  armaments 
were  reduced  and  peace  established  on  a firm  basis. 

While  the  two  powers  were  marshaling  their  armies  and 
preparing  their  fleets  for  action,  members  of  the  hierarchy 
of  both  Chile  and  Argentina  were  doing  everything  pos- 
sible to  avert  the  impending  disaster.  The  Argentine 
Bishop  of  San  Juan,  a pious  Dominican,  then  conceived  the 
idea  of  erecting  a statue  of  Christ  the  Redeemer  on  one 
of  the  lofty  peaks  of  the  Andes  near  the  Chilean  frontier. 
Several  models  were  presented,  but  the  one  finally  accepted 
was  that  of  a young  sculptor  of  Buenos  Aires,  Mateo 

266 


FAMOUS  SCENES  AND  VICTORIES 


Alonso.  The  statue  was  completed  in  1903,  after  a delay 
of  two  years.  It  was  then  placed  on  exhibition  in  the  cap- 
ital and  drew  enthusiastic  crowds  of  all  classes,  who  were 
loud  in  their  praise  of  the  splendid  work  of  the  youthful 
Porteno.  Among  those  who  went  to  see  this  noble  work 
of  art  were  Dr.  Terry,  the  Argentine  minister  of  foreign 
affairs,  and  the  Chilean  minister,  Dr.  Vergara  Donoso.  It 
was  these  two  men  who  shortly  before  had  written  the  pro- 
tocols of  peace  and  disarmament.  They  were  so  pleased 
with  the  statue  that  they  at  once  indorsed  the  plan,  which 
had  already  been  proposed,  to  make  it  an  international 
monument  on  the  Argentine-Chilean  frontier.  The  initiator 
of  the  monument,  Monsignor  Beneventi,  who  happened  to 
be  in  Buenos  Aires  at  the  time,  and  especially  the  Associa- 
tion of  Christian  Mothers,  who  had  collected  the  funds 
necessary  to  pay  for  the  statue,  were  delighted  with  the 
project. 

A few  days  later  work  was  begun  on  the  foundation  for 
the  statue.  The  site  chosen  was  the  summit  of  the  Pass 
of  Uspallata,  midway  between  those  giant  peaks  of  the 
Andes — Tupungato  and  Aconcagua.  The  statue,  which  was 
the  first  one  of  its  size  to  be  cast  in  America,  is  of  bronze, 
made  of  cannon  taken  from  the  enemy  during  the  Para- 
guayan war.  It  is  nearly  thirty  feet  high  and  rests  on  an 
octagonal  column  of  granite  twenty-two  feet  in  height.  It 
holds  a cross  in  the  left  hand,  while  the  right  is  raised 
in  the  act  of  benediction.  The  sweet  serenity  of  the  face 
is  admirable;  its  look  is  penetrating,  while  its  lips  seem 
ready  to  speak.1  The  complete  monument  has  a height  of 
nearly  sixty  feet. 

But  it  was  the  ceremonies  which  accompanied  the  formal 
unveiling  of  this  splendid  monument  of  international  peace 
which  gave  the  best  insight  into  the  deep  religious  senti- 

1 A reproduction  of  this  beautiful  statue,  offered  by  the  women  of  Argen- 
tina, has  been  accepted  by  the  permanent  commission  of  the  International 
Peaee  Conference  for  a place  in  the  Peace  Palace  of  the  Hague. 

267 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


ment  of  the  people  of  the  two  nations  and  which  showed 
how  sincere  they  were  in  their  protestations  of  eternal 
peace  and  friendship. 

In  April,  1904,  a large  concourse  of  people  from  both 
Chile  and  Argentina  assembled  at  the  summit  of  Uspallata 
Pass.  Among  them  were  the  leading  representatives  of 
the  Church  and  the  State,  of  the  army  and  the  navy.  The 
Archbishop  of  Buenos  Aires  blessed  the  statue,  after  which 
he  said  mass  in  presence  of  the  kneeling  multitude.  Salvos 
of  Argentine  artillery  on  Chilean  territory  and  Chilean 
guns  on  Argentine  soil  sealed  the  kiss  of  peace  which  the 
archbishop  of  Buenos  Aires  gave  the  representative  of 
the  Church  of  Chile.  Medals  were  struck  which  bore  on  one 
side  the  Christ  of  the  Andes  and  on  the  reverse  the  symbols 
of  union  of  the  two  sister  republics.  In  the  Argentine 
arsenal  two  bronze  tablets  were  cast,  one  of  which,  in  front 
of  the  statue,  bears  this  truly  Christian  inscription: 


Se  Desplomaran  Primero  Estas  Montanas  Antes 
Que  Argentinos  Y Chilenos  Rompan  La  Paz 
Jurada  A Los  Pies  Del  Cristo  Redentor.1 

How  sad  to  think  that  the  all-important  lesson  taught 
by  these  young  republics  of  the  Southern  Continent  has 
been  lost  sight  of  by  the  jealous  and  ambitious  nations  of 
the  Old  World,  who  are  now  engaged  in  the  greatest  strug- 
gle in  history ! Had  they  more  of  the  idealism  and  chivalry 
of  the  Hispano-American,  and  had  they  followed  the  ex- 
ample of  the  people  of  Chile  and  Argentina  in  submitting 

1 Sooner  shall  these  mountains  crumble  into  dust  than  shall  Argentines 
and  Chileans  break  the  peace  which  they  have  sworn  before  the  feet  of  Christ, 
the  Redeemer. 

On  the  tablet  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  monument  is  an  equally  touching 
sentiment,  viz. : ‘ ‘ He  is  our  peace  who  hath  made  us  one.  ” It  is  worthy 

of  note  that  these  tablets  w-ere  the  gifts  of  the  Workingmen’s  and  Working- 
women’s  Unions  of  Buenos  Aires. 


268 


Cristo  Redentor. 


FAMOUS  SCENES  AND  VICTORIES 


their  differences  to  arbitration,  we  should  not  now  be  forced 
to  witness  the  greatest  of  crimes  against  civilization  and 
to  see  the  progress  of  the  world  arrested  for  generations 
to  come. 

The  physical  and  geological  features  on  the  Chilean  side 
of  the  Cordillera  are,  in  many  respects,  quite  different  from 
those  on  the  Argentine  versant.  As  I sat  on  the  front  of 
the  locomotive,  during  the  greater  part  of  the  passage 
across  the  Andes,  I was  able  to  enjoy  to  the  utmost  the 
magnificent  scenes  which  defiled  before  us  in  rapid  suc- 
cession. The  day  was  ideal.  The  weather  was  pleasant 
and  the  temperature,  even  near  the  cumbre,  was  agreeable. 
The  sky  was  clear  and  the  dazzling  snow-capped  giant, 
Aconcagua,  blazed  forth  in  fullest  glory  among  his  sur- 
rounding satellites  like 

“The  pillar  of  heaven,  the  nurse  of  sharp,  eternal  snow.” 

Everywhere,  in  the  broad  depressions  between  them,  were 
extensive  glaciers  and  below  them  were  glacier-born  rivers 
which  carried  fertility  and  wealth  to  the  valleys  and  plains 
of  Chile  and  Argentina.  Along  the  lateral  margins  and 
at  the  feet  of  these  lofty  ice-fields  were  dark  moraines 
which,  after  comminution  by  the  action  of  ice  and  water, 
were  to  supply  the  abundant  alluvial  soil  of  golden  wheat- 
fields  and  purple  vineyards. 

The  valley  of  the  Rio  de  Mendoza,  below  the  famous 
Puente  del  Inca,  on  the  eastern  flank  of  the  range,  has  all 
the  appearance  of  the  interior  of  a vast,  extinct  volcano. 
Everywhere  are  beds  of  lava  and  tufa — black,  brown,  yel- 
low and  gray— and  long  streaks  of  dark  sand  and  gravel 
which  have  come  from  lofty  precipices  on  both  sides  of 
the  river.  At  one  place  there  is  a group  of  black  pinna- 
cles which  are  locally  known  as  Penitentes,  from  their  fan- 
cied resemblance  to  the  notorious  sinners  in  penitential 
garb. 


269 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


The  west  side  of  the  Andes,  along  the  Rio  Aconcagua, 
especially  the  section  below  the  Laguna  del  Inca,1  is  mostly 
of  granitic  formation.  The  valleys  and  glens  are  deeper 
and  darker  and  the  faces  of  the  bare,  somber  ridges  are 
steeper  and  more  inaccessible  than  on  the  eastern  flank. 
The  upper  part  of  the  range,  it  is  true,  is  on  both  sides  of 
the  summit  so  precipitous  that,  notwithstanding  the  numer- 
ous curves  and  tunnels  of  the  railway,  it  was  necessary  to 
have  recourse  to  cog-rails  to  enable  the  trains  to  climb  the 
unusually  steep  grades.  But  what  impresses  everyone  who 
crosses  the  Andes  by  the  Uspallata  Pass  is  the  dizzy  preci- 
pices and  the  fathomless  depths  of  the  gorges  along  which 
the  locomotive  threads  its  way  amid 

“Crags,  noils  and  mounds,  confusedly  hurled, 

The  fragments  of  an  earlier  world.” 

It  was  while  contemplating  these  stupendous  exhibitions 
of  mountain  grandeur  which  seemed  to  present  an  impassa- 
ble barrier,  even  to  the  most  adventurous  wayfarer,  that 
I again  and  again  marveled  at  the  wonderful  feat  accom- 
plished by  the  Army  of  the  Andes  in  so  quickly  and  so 
successfully  traversing  the  Cordillera  in  the  face  of  seem- 
ingly insuperable  obstacles.  But  the  one  of  this  famous 
expedition  who  was  most  frequently  before  me  in  fancy 
was  the  ingenious  and  resourceful  leader  who  had  charge 
of  the  artillery — Padre  Luis  Beltran.  To  him,  after  San 
Martin,  belong  the  laurels  of  this  wonderful  military  tri- 
umph, and  to  him,  next  to  his  illustrious  commander,  must 
be  attributed  the  victories  which  were  achieved  by  the 
patriot  army  on  the  battlefields  of  Chile  and  Peru. 

The  testimony  of  historians  and  of  everyone  in  the 

1 There  is  no  evidence  that  any  of  the  Inca  rulers  were  ever  near  the 
bridge  and  lake  named  after  them.  But  here,  as  all  along  the  great  Andean 
plateau  from  Aconcagua  to  Cotopaxi,  striking  natural  phenomena  aie  called 
after  them,  just  as  they  are  frequently  named  after  the  devil  in  Europe  and  in 
other  parts  of  the  world. 


270 


FAMOUS  SCENES  AND  VICTORIES 


Army  of  the  Andes,  from  the  commander-in-chief  down  to 
the  youngest  muleteer,  is  unanimous  on  this  point. 

In  a communication  to  his  friend,  Pueyrredon,  the  su- 
preme director  of  the  United  Provinces,  San  Martin  tells 
us  that  this  energetic  monk,  who  then  held  the  rank  of 
captain  of  artillery,  specially  distinguished  himself  in  the 
organization,  increase  and  conservation  of  the  park  of  can- 
non, and  that  to  his  knowledge  and  extraordinary  exer- 
tions was  due  the  successful  transport  of  the  artillery  over 
the  craggy  and  precipitous  barrier  of  the  Cordillera. 
“Nothing  could  resist  the  tenacity  of  this  honored  official.” 

The  Hispano- American  historian,  Mantilla,  declares  that 
“Beltran,  whose  tasks  were  the  heaviest,  precisely  because 
he  towered  above  all  others  in  talent  and  inventive  faculty, 
did  not  know  the  impossible.  Everything  yielded  to  his 
expert  hand.  His  patriotism  made  him  divine  what  he 
never  dreamed  of  in  his  monastic  cell.  And  thus  it  was  that 
the  Army  of  the  Andes  possessed  the  elements  requisite 
to  surmount  the  Andes  and  liberate  Chile.”1 

About  ten  hours  after  leaving  Mendoza  we  arrived  at 
the  confluence  of  the  Aconcagua  and  the  Putaendo.  Here 
an  Argentine  companion  at  my  side,  pointing  towards  the 
valley  of  the  latter  river,  exclaimed:  “There  is  the  way 
by  which  San  Martin  entered  Chile!”  And  it  was  near 
the  junction  of  these  two  rivers  that  the  Army  of  the  Andes 
fell  on  the  Spanish  forces  like  a thunderbolt  and  won  the 

1 The  same  author,  writing  of  this  dexterous  and  energetic  Franciscan, 
after  he  had  crossed  the  Andes,  informs  us  that  ‘ ‘ In  Santiago  Beltran  repro- 
duced the  achievements  of  Mendoza  and  gave  to  San  Martin  and  to  Chile,  in 
the  hour  of  crisis,  what  was  most  needed  to  enable  them  to  conquer  and  to 
carry  to  Lima  the  victorious  banners  of  Chacabuco  and  Maipo.  How  admirable 
was  that  monk  at  the  head  of  the  artillery  of  the  independent  troops  which 
waged  war  in  Peru!  Four  large  expeditions  enlisted,  twenty-four  cannon  cast, 
myriads  of  projectiles  prepared,  arms  without  number,  which  he  supplied  to 
the  troops,  speak  eloquently  of  his  glory  and  of  that  of  the  patriotic  army  to 
which  he  belonged — a glory  not  only  of  abnegation  and  valor  but  also  a glory 
of  creative  intelligence  and  of  active  cooperation  of  the  people  of  Argentina 
with  that  of  Peru  in  its  political  redemption.”  ‘‘Begimiento  de  la  artilleria  de 
la  Patria.  ” 


271 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


great  victory  of  Chacabuco.  Less  than  two  months  subse- 
quently was  fought  the  decisive  battle  of  Maipo  which  de- 
livered Chile  from  the  yoke  of  Spain  forever. 

The  judgment  of  posterity  is  unanimous  in  respect  to 
the  importance  of  the  passage  of  the  Andes  by  San  Mar- 
tin, not  only  as  a great  military  feat,  but  also  because  of 
the  influence  it  had  upon  the  final  result  of  the  struggle 
for  emancipation.  Spanish  historians  speak  of  it  as  the 
turning-point  of  the  contest  between  Spain  and  her  colonies. 
In  German  military  schools  it  is  cited  as  an  example  of 
the  importance  of  discipline  in  an  army,  and  of  the  value 
of  foresight  and  attention  to  details  on  the  part  of  a 
general. 

“The  passage  of  the  Andes  by  San  Martin, ” asserts 
Mitre,  “was  a feat  requiring  greater  strategy  and  skill  than 
the  passage  of  the  Alps  by  Hannibal  and  Napoleon.  It 
was  unequaled  until  Bolivar  repeated  the  exploit  on  the 
equator.  If  compared  with  the  two  former,  it  is  seen  to 
be  a much  greater  achievement  than  either  of  them  from 
its  effects  on  the  destinies  of  the  human  race.  In  place 
of  vengeance,  greed,  or  ambition,  San  Martin  was  ani- 
mated by  the  hope  of  giving  liberty  and  independence  to 
a new  world.  The  passage  of  the  Andes  by  San  Martin 
resulted  in  Maipo;  the  passage  of  the  Andes  by  Bolivar 
resulted  in  Boyaca — two  decisive  victories  which  liberated 
entire  peoples  from  foreign  despotism.  The  passage  of  the 
Alps  by  Hannibal  and  Napoleon  resulted  only  in  the  sterile 
victories  of  Trebbia  and  Marengo.”  1 

As  to  the  transcendent  importance  of  the  victories  of 
Chacabuco  and  Maipo  the  verdict  of  posterity  is  equally 
unanimous.  They  were  the  forerunners  of  the  great  vic- 
tory of  Bolivar  at  Boyaca,  in  New  Granada;  of  the  decisive 
battles  of  Picliinclia  in  Quito  and  of  Ayacuclio  in  Peru,  won 
by  Sucre.  Without  the  victories  of  Chacabuco  and  Maipo 
the  banners  of  the  patriot  armies  would  not  have  floated 

1 Op.  cit.,  Tom.  I,  pp.  630-632. 

272 


FAMOUS  SCENES  AND  VICTORIES 


triumphantly  over  the  battlefields  of  Boyaca,  Pichincha  and 
Ayacucho,  and  the  emancipation  of  Spanish  America  would 
have  been  indefinitely  postponed.  Chacabuco  was  the  re- 
venge for  the  defeat  at  Sipe-Sipe.  Maipo  crushed  the  spirit 
of  the  Spanish  army  in  America  and  paved  the  way  for  all 
the  subsequent  achievements  of  the  patriot  forces  from 
Lima  to  the  City  of  Mexico.  It  was,  so  far  as  Argentina 
and  Chile  were  concerned,  the  completion  of  the  work  begun 
in  the  Congress  of  Tucuman  by  its  formal  declaration  of 
independence. 

Having  in  mind  the  honors  showered  by  a grateful  peo- 
ple upon  our  immortal  Washington,  one  would  think  that 
the  liberated  nations  of  South  America  would,  in  a similar 
manner,  have  hastened  to  show  their  gratitude  to  those 
heroic  men  who  had  freed  them  from  a foreign  yoke.  But 
it  was  not  so.  Quite  the  contrary.  Belgrano,  the  first 
champion  of  Argentine  independence  and  the  hero  of  Salta 
and  Tucuman,  was  allowed  to  die  in  obscurity.  0 ’Higgins, 
the  dashing  lieutenant  of  San  Martin  in  his  march  across 
the  Andes  and  in  his  decisive  battles  in  Chile,  ended  his 
days  in  exile.  Sucre,  who  after  San  Martin  was  the  ablest, 
as  he  was  the  most  modest  commander  of  the  war  of  eman- 
cipation, was  murdered  by  his  own  men  when  at  the  height  of 
his  fame.  Bolivar  and  San  Martin,  after  giving  the  best 
years  of  their  lives  to  the  service  of  tlieir  countrymen, 
closed  their  eventful  careers  in  banishment. 

The  republics  of  Spanish  America  have,  it  is  true,  en- 
deavored to  redeem  themselves  by  honoring  after  death 
those  heroic  sons  whom  they  treated  so  ignominiously  dur- 
ing life.  Towns  and  states  and  provinces  now  hear  their 
names.  Statues  are  everywhere  erected  in  their  honor. 
Their  praises  are  sung  unceasingly  in  schools  and  legis- 
lative halls.  Their  tombs  are  adorned  with  wreaths  and 
monuments  of  all  kinds — theaters,  museums,  colleges,  hos- 
pitals— keep  their  memories  green.  But  when  one  con- 
templates these  tributes  to  the  memory  of  departed  heroes 

273 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


and  recalls  tlieir  tragic  fates  one  cannot  but  repeat  with 
Lowell : 


The  hooting  mob  of  yesterday 
In  silent  awe  return, 

To  glean  the  scattered  ashes 
Into  History’s  golden  urn. 


CHAPTER  XIII 


SANTIAGO  DEL  NUEVO  EXTREMO 

In  the  form  and  physical  condition  of  her  territory, 
Chile  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  countries  of  the  world. 
Although  it  is  nearly  three  thousand  miles  long,  its  aver- 
age width  is  only  about  a hundred.  It  is  like  an  immense 
ribbon  which  borders  more  than  half  of  the  western  part 
of  South  America.  On  the  east  it  is  bounded  by  the  Cor- 
dillera of  the  Andes,  whose  crest  is  broken  by  some  of  the 
loftiest  peaks  in  the  Western  Hemisphere.  Parallel  with 
this  is  the  lower  coast  range  which  seems  to  rise  directly 
out  of  the  waters  of  the  Pacific.  Between  these  two  ranges 
is  a narrow  strip  of  land  from  twenty  to  thirty  miles  wide 
which  constitutes  the  habitable  part  of  the  Republic.  In 
the  northern  part  of  this  narrow  strip  is  a vast  desert, 
in  parts  of  which  rain  is  almost  unknown.  In  the  southern 
section,  on  the  contrary,  the  annual  rainfall  is  no  less  than 
ten  feet.  But  for  the  present  the  greater  part  of  the  wealth 
of  the  country  is  in  the  desert,  a desert  which  is  like  a vast 
chemical  laboratory  in  which  Nature  has,  by  her  mysterious 
processes,  evolved  on  an  immense  scale  mineral  riches  of 
every  kind  and  of  untold  value.  In  the  southern  half, 
however,  lies  the  wealth  of  the  future,  for  the  nation  as 
well  as  for  the  great  majority  of  its  inhabitants. 

But  the  form  and  physical  condition  of  the  country  are 
not  more  remarkable  than  its  history,  especially  that  part 
of  its  annals  which  deals  with  its  conquest  and  coloniza- 
tion. For  Chile,  like  Peru,  New  Granada  and  Mexico,  was 
the  theater  of  the  glamouring  achievements  of  the  Con- 
quistadores,  and,  as  such,  is  a land  of  romance  and  chivalry. 

275 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


One  realizes  this  particularly  in  the  nation’s  capital,  where 
there  is  so  much  to  remind  one  of  the  deeds  of  those  men 
of  indomitable  courage  and  steadfastness  of  purpose  and 
supreme  organizing  capacity,  who  took  possession,  in  the 
name  of  the  King  of  Spain,  of  this  remotest  part  of  the 
South  American  continent. 

It  is  not  easy,  even  for  one  who  is  familiar  with  the 
country  through  which  the  conquerors  had  to  pass,  to  re- 
alize the  difficulties  which  they  had  to  surmount  before 
attaining  their  goal.  Their  route  lay  through  an  unex- 
plored territory,  where  they  suffered  alternately  the  ex- 
tremes of  cold  and  heat.  They  had  to  traverse  the  frigid 
uplands  of  Peru,  to  cross  the  snowbound  Cordillera,  to 
march  over  interminable  sandy  wastes,  under  a blazing  sun, 
where  starvation,  with  all  its  attendant  horrors,  was  an 
ever-present  menace. 

Among  those  of  the  Conquistadores  whose  names  will 
always  be  identified  with  the  history  of  Chile,  two  are  par- 
ticularly conspicuous.  These  are  Diego  de  Almagro,  the 
associate  of  Pizarro  in  the  conquest  of  Peru,  and  Pedro  de 
Valdivia,  the  conqueror  and  first  governor  of  Chile. 

When  Almagro  set  out  from  Cuzco  for  the  conquest  of 
Chile,  he  expected  to  find  there  another  Peru,  a country  in 
which  untold  wealth  awaited  both  himself  and  his  intrepid 
followers.  But  he  had  scarcely  crossed  the  Andes  when 
he  was  disenchanted.  For,  in  lieu  of  thriving  centers  of 
population  like  Cuzco,  Cajamarca  and  Pacbacamac,  with 
their  temples  overflowing  with  gold,  he  found  only  a vast 
inhospitable  region 

“Scorched  by  the  sun  and  furnace  breath 
Of  the  red  desert’s  wind  of  death — ” 

a region  which,  to  this  day,  is  known  as  Pais  de  la  deses- 
peracion  y de  la  muerte,  a country  of  despair  and  death.1 

1 Ercilla  graphically  describes  this  arid  desert — without  a trace  of  animal 
or  vegetable  life — as  a region 

“Do  no  hay  ave,  animal,  yerba  ni  rama.” 

276 


SANTIAGO  DEL  NUEVO  EXTREMO 


After  proceeding  as  far  south  as  the  river  Aconcagua,  the 
outlook  became  so  hopeless  that  the  hero  in  countless  ad- 
ventures concluded  to  return  to  Cuzco  where,  shortly  after 
his  arrival,  he  met  with  a tragic  death  at  the  hands  of  his 
rivals  and  enemies. 

But  the  failure  of  Almagro’s  expedition  did  not  cause 
the  Spanish  to  regard  the  conquest  of  Chile  as  an  impos- 
sible undertaking.  Far  from  it!  The  difficulties  and  hard- 
ships which  had  been  encountered  by  the  gallant  followers  of 
Almagro  seemed  but  to  stimulate  others  of  their  countrymen 
to  renewed  efforts.  For  it  was  less  than  three  years  after  the 
return  of  the  first  expedition  when  a second  one,  under  the 
leadership  of  Valdivia,  had  started  from  Cuzco  on  the  long 
journey  of  two  thousand  miles  over  the  bleak  table-lands 
of  Peru  and  the  glowing  sands  of  Atacama  and  Tarapaca.1 


‘It  is  frequently  stated  that  Almagro,  Valdivia  and  their  companions  en- 
tered Chile  by  way  of  the  Uspallata  Pass.  This  is  an  error.  Valdivia’s  route 
to  Santiago,  after  leaving  Cuzco,  was  by  way  of  Puno,  Arequipa,  Arica,  Tara- 
paca, Copiapo  and  Serena.  Villagran,  Francisco  de  Riveros,  Rodrigo  de 
Quiroga,  Juan  Bohon  and  Francisco  de  Aguirre  and  other  Conquistadores  who 
were  among  Valdivia’s  ablest  lieutenants  and  became  illustrious  in  the  con- 
quest of  Chile  crossed  the  Andes  somewhere  between  latitudes  twenty-two  and 
twenty-three  and,  with  their  troops,  joined  their  commander,  some  at  Tarapaca 
and  others  at  Atacama.  Aguirre,  who  was  the  best  lance  among  the  Conquis- 
tadores who  went  to  Chile,  informs  us  himself  that  he  crossed  the  Cordillera 
by  the  same  route  which  had  been  taken  by  Almagro — passando  el  despoblado 
que  paso  Don  Diego  de  Almagro.  Cf.  “El  Conquistador  Francisco  de 
Aguirre,”  p.  45,  note  2,  by  Padre  Luis  Silva  Lezaeta,  Santiago,  de  Chile,  1904. 
According  to  the  eminent  Chilean  historian,  Diego  Barros  Arana,  the  pass  by 
which  Almagro  crossed  the  Andes  is  that  now  known  as  Las  Tres  Cruces, 
which  is  nearly  fifteen  thousand  feet  above  sea  level.  Cf.  his  “Historia  Jen- 
eral  de  Chile,”  Tom.  I,  p.  179,  Santiago,  1884.  One  of  the  first,  if  not  the 
first,  of  the  Conquistadores  to  cross  the  Andes,  by  way  of  the  Uspallata  Pass, 
was  Francisco  de  Villagra,  one  of  Valdivia’s  efficient  lieutenants.  This  was 
in  1551,  ten  years  after  the  foundation  of  Santiago.  Vid.  “Las  Antiguas 
Ciudades  de  Chile,”  p.  154,  by  Tomas  Tliayer-Ojeda,  Santiago  de  Chile,  1911. 

Although  comparatively  little  known,  Francisco  de  Aguirre  was  second 
only  to  Valdivia  among  the  Conquistadores  of  Chile.  As  Padre  Lezaeta  shows 
in  his  valuable  work,  Aguirre  was  the  conqueror  and  colonizer  of  all  the  north- 
ern part  of  Chile,  and  of  a notable  part  of  what  is  now  known  as  Argentina. 
He  was  the  founder  of  Serena,  Copiapo  and  Santiago  del  Estero.  He  was, 

277 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


After  frightful  hardships  and  deeds  of  prowess  that  are 
unsurpassed  in  the  annals  of  American  conquest,  Valdivia 
and  his  heroic  band,  on  the  thirteenth  of  December,  the 
feast  of  St.  Lucy,  arrived  at  the  river  Mapoclio,  where  the 
capital  of  Chile  now  stands.  The  country  at  this  point  was 
fertile  and  beautiful  and  arrayed  in  all  the  glories  of 
springtide.  The  flowers  and  foliage  of  the  meadows  and 
forests  here  were  in  marked  contrast  with  the  rocks  and 
sand-hills  of  the  treeless  wastes  in  which  they  had  spent 
such  long,  weary  months.  Here,  then,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Rio  Mapoclio  where  they  could  have  wood,  water  and  the 
fruits  of  the  land,  and  at  the  foot  of  a small,  picturesque 
mount  of  basalt  and  porphyry,  they  resolved  to  found  a 
city  which  should  be  the  base  of  their  future  operations 
in  the  land  which  they  had  come  to  conquer  and  colon- 
ize. 

The  city  was  founded  on  the  twelfth  of  February,  1541, 
with  all  the  formalities  usually  observed  on  such  occasions 
by  the  Conquistadores.  The  record  of  the  foundation  reads 
as  follows:  “On  the  twelfth  day  of  February,  in  the  year 
one  thousand  five  hundred  and  forty-one,  the  very  magnifi- 
cent Senor  Pedro  de  Valdivia,  lieutenant-governor  and 
captain-general  for  the  very  illustrious  Senor  Don  Fran- 
cisco Pizarro,  governor  and  captain-general  of  the  prov- 
inces of  Peru  for  His  Majesty,  founded  this  city  in  the 
name  of  God  and  of  his  Blessed  Mother  and  of  the  Apostle 
St.  James.  And  he  gave  to  the  city  the  name  Santiago  del 
Nuevo  Extremo,  and  to  this  province  and  the  adjacent 
territories  and  to  the  land  which  it  may  please  His  Maj- 
esty to  be  a government,  he  gave  the  name  of  the  province 
of  Nueva  Extremadura.  ’ ’ 1 

moreover,  the  ancestor  of  most  of  the  families  of  these  cities — el  tronco  de 
donde  descienden  casi  todas  las  familias  de  estas  ciudades.  Ibid.,  p.  6.  See 
also  the  Apendice  of  Lezaeta’s  work  on  “La  Descendencia  del  Conquistador, 
Francisco  de  Aguirre.” 

1“Historia  de  Chile,  Pedro  de  Valdivia,”  Tom.  I,  p.  152-53,  by  Crescente 
Errazuriz,  Santiago  de  Chile,  1911. 

278 


SANTIAGO  DEL  NUEVO  EXTREMO 


It  would  have  been  difficult  for  Valdivia  to  have  selected 
a more  beautiful  site  for  his  nascent  city  or  one  which 
possessed  greater  strategical  value.  His  choice  showed 
that  he  had  the  eye  of  an  artist  as  well  as  the  skill  of  a 
successful  commander.  In  beauty  of  location  and  environ- 
ment, Santiago  is  surpassed  in  South  America  only  by 
matchless  Rio  de  Janeiro.  Like  Quito,  Bogota  and  Caracas, 
it  stands  at  the  foot  of  a lofty  mountain  range  and  domi- 
nates a broad  and  fertile  plain.  But,  considering  it  as  a 
center  of  defense,  as  well  as  a place  of  magnificent  scenic 
attractions,  its  site  more  nearly  resembles  that  of  Cuzco, 
the  famous  capital  of  the  Inca  Empire.  Probably  it  was 
because  this  place,  with  its  natural  fortress  of  volcanic  rock, 
possessed  many  of  the  advantages  of  Cuzco,  with  its  im- 
pregnable Sacsaliuaman,  that  Valdivia  chose  it  as  the  site 
for  the  capital  of  the  country  he  purposed  to  conquer. 

The  name  given  the  city  was  that  of  the  patron  saint 
of  Spain,  a name  dear  to  all  Spaniards  and  one  bestowed 
on  many  towns  and  cities  in  Spanish  America.  The  appel- 
lation, Nueva  Extremadura,  of  the  country  itself  was  in 
honor  of  Valdivia’s  birthplace,  the  province  of  Estrema- 
dura  in  Spain.  And  the  rocky  eminence,  which  was  for  a 
long  time  to  serve  as  a place  of  refuge  during  the  wars 
with  the  Indians,  was  named  Santa  Lucia,  a name  it  still 
bears,  because  it  was  on  this  saint’s  feast  day  that  Valdivia 
and  his  intrepid  companions  pitched  their  tents  on  its  pro- 
tecting summit.1 

The  general  plan  of  Santiago  is  like  that  of  all  Spanish- 
American  cities.  The  streets  cross  one  another  at  right 
angles  and  all  the  homes  of  the  people  are  provided  with 

1<<Don  Ramon  Briseno,  en  sus  efemerides,  avanza  la  idea,  mui  plausible 
en  verdad,  de  que  los  conquistadores  debieron  Uegar  al  valle  del  Mapocho  el 
dia  13  de  Diciembre,  fiesta  de  Santa  Lucia,  i que  tal  vez  con  el  objeto  de 
commemorar  tal  aniversario  erijio  Fernandez  de  Alderete  una  ermita  en  honor 
de  aquella  Santa,  al  pie  del  cerro  eonocido  hasta  hoi  con  ese  nombre.  ” “Los 
Conquistadores  de  Chile,”  p.  23,  note  2,  by  Tomas  Thayer-Ojeda,  Santiago 
de  Chile,  1910. 


279 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


one  or  more  patios.  In  spite  of  the  frequency  of  earth- 
quakes, some  of  which  are  quite  severe,  there  are  many 
imposing  structures,  both  public  and  private.  Some  of  the 
residences  of  the  aristocracy  are  very  sumptuous  and  lux- 
uriously furnished.  Many  of  them,  indeed,  compare  fa- 
vorably with  the  most  superb  homes  of  our  millionaires 
in  New  York  and  Philadelphia.  Probably  one  of  the  most 
attractive  of  recent  buildings  is  the  Palace  of  Fine  Arts, 
inaugurated  in  1870.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that,  in 
architectural  beauty,  it  far  surpasses  any  similar  structure 
in  the  United  States. 

Among  other  notable  edifices  is  the  municipal  theater. 
Although  inferior  in  size  and  architectural  excellence  to 
the  Teatro  Colon  of  Buenos  Aires  and  the  Teatro  Municipal 
of  Eio  de  Janeiro,  it  is,  nevertheless,  quite  worthy  of  the 
leading  metropolis  of  western  South  America — a city  which 
will  soon  count  a half-million  inhabitants.  It  was  in  this 
commodious  building  that  Colonel  Eoosevelt  gave  his  chief 
discourses  on  Progressive  Democracy.  Each  time  he  spoke 
the  vast  structure  was  filled  with  a most  enthusiastic  audi- 
ence. But  it  was  in  his  last  address  here  that  he  scored 
his  greatest  oratorical  triumph  south  of  the  equator.  On 
this  occasion  he  discussed,  among  other  topics,  certain 
questions  connected  with  the  building  of  the  Panama  Canal. 
A combination  of  circumstances  had  made  it  necessary  for 
him  to  explain  his  action  in  a matter  which  has  so 
frequently  been  misunderstood,  and  often  grossly  mis- 
represented. 

As  soon  as  he  began  to  advert  to  the  subject,  everyone 
was  attention,  and  the  silence  that  prevailed  was  almost 
painful.  The  large  auditorium  in  which  he  spoke  seemed  to 
be  surcharged  with  electricity  and  everyone  appeared  to 
be  prepared  for  a shock  or  an  explosion.  Everything — 
the  environment,  the  speaker,  the  subject,  the  great  histo- 
rical event  under  review — was  dramatic  to  a degree,  and 
everyone  felt  that  it  was  dramatic.  The  audience  felt,  too, 

280 


SANTIAGO  DEL  NUEVO  EXTREMO 


that  it  was  listening  to  the  man  who,  more  than  any  other, 
had  made  history  in  Panama  and  who  could,  in  a few  words, 
tell  them  a story  of  compelling  interest.  And  he  did  not 
disappoint  them.  Speaking  deliberately,  but  certain  of  his 
ground,  he  soon  had  his  audience  under  the  spell  of  his 
burning  eloquence.  And,  as  he  proceeded  with  his  state- 
ment of  the  case,  he  was  greeted  with  round  after  round 
of  applause.  Those  who  were  at  first  only  mildly  inter- 
ested were  soon  thoroughly  convinced  of  the  uprightness 
of  his  position,  while  those  who  had  been  wont  to  denounce 
were  heard  to  commend  and  indorse. 

Then  came  a burst  of  eloquence  such  as  I have  rarely, 
if  ever,  heard  equaled. 

Vibrating  with  suppressed  emotion,  the  orator  declared 
with  impassioned  word,  gesture  and  intonation  that  thrilled 
everyone  in  the  vast  audience : ‘ ‘ I love  peace,  but  it  is  be- 
cause I love  justice  and  not  because  I am  afraid  of  war.  I 
took  the  action  I did  in  Panama  because  to  have  acted  other- 
wise would  have  been  both  weak  and  wicked.  I would  have 
taken  that  action  no  matter  what  power  had  stood  in  the 
way.  What  I did  was  in  the  interest  of  all  the  world,  and 
was  particularly  in  the  interests  of  Chile  and  of  certain 
other  South  American  countries.  It  was  in  accordance  with 
the  highest  and  strictest  dictates  of  justice.  If  it  were  a 
matter  to  do  over  again,  I would  act  precisely  and  exactly 
as  I in  very  fact  did  act.” 

The  effect  was  electrical,  and  the  last  statement,  par- 
ticularly, brought  the  audience  to  its  feet.  They  felt,  as 
never  before,  the  power,  the  intrepidity,  the  determination 
of  the  man  who  was  addressing  them;  and  they  felt,  too, 
that  this  power  and  intrepidity  and  determination  were 
based  on  equity  and  justice.  If  among  those  who  heard 
this  masterly  speech  there  were  still  any  who  had  mis- 
givings about  the  legality  or  the  equity  of  the  Panama 
proceedings,  they  were  not  to  be  found.  The  Colonel  had 
appealed  to  their  judgment  and  their  sense  of  fairness,  and 

281 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


liis  words  extorted  not  only  admiration,  but  also  con- 
viction and  approval. 

Some  of  the  avenues  of  the  city  are  quite  beautiful,  while 
two  of  its  parks  are  really  superb.  Of  all  the  thorough- 
fares, the  most  attractive  by  far  is  the  one  which  rejoices 
in  the  charming  and  sonorous  designation,  Avenida  de  las 
Delicias.  It  is  more  than  three  hundred  feet  wide  and  runs 
from  one  end  of  the  city  to  the  other.  It  is  liberally  pro- 
vided with  shade  trees  and  adorned  with  statues,  some  of 
which  have  considerable  artistic  merit.  On  both  sides  there 
are  magnificent  public  and  private  buildings,  among  which 
are  many  of  the  palatial  homes  of  the  leading  families  of 
the  city.  Here  one  will  find  superb  mansions  of  Floren- 
tine and  Venetian  architecture  beside  structures  which 
are  of  Moorish  or  French  Renaissance. 

The  two  parks,  which  one  will  always  return  to  with 
renewed  pleasure,  are  the  Quinta  Normal  and  the  Parque 
Cousino.  In  the  first  named  there  is  a museum  and  a botan- 
ical garden,  both  of  which  are  well  worth  visiting.  The 
Parque  Cousino,  consisting  of  several  hundred  acres,  is 
due  to  the  munificence  of  the  late  multi-millionaire,  Don 
Luis  Cousino,  whose  wife,  Senora  Isadora  Cousino,  was  the 
richest  woman  in  Chile,  if  not  in  South  America.  Before 
her  marriage  she  possessed  immense  wealth,  but  after  mar- 
rying one  of  the  richest  men  in  the  Republic,  who  at  his 
death  willed  her  all  his  millions,  her  fortune  was  colossal. 
She  had  immense  interests  in  real  estate,  mines,  herds,  rail- 
roads and  steamships,  and  was  reputed  by  her  countrymen 
to  be  the  wealthiest  woman  in  the  world.  Her  palatial  home 
in  Santiago  and  her  gorgeous  chateau  in  Lota  excite  the 
admiration  of  every  visitor  to  Chile.  Unlike  our  thrifty 
Hetty  Green,  Senora  Cousino  was  noted  for  her  extrava- 
gance and  the  pleasure  she  seemed  to  find  in  disposing  of 
her  enormous  income. 

Cousino  Park  is  a delightful  pleasure-ground  lavishly 
adorned  with  flowers,  shrubs  and  trees  of  all  kinds.  In 

282 


Art  Gallery.  Santiago. 


SANTIAGO  DEL  NUEVO  EXTREMO 


the  afternoon  its  splendid  avenues  are  crowded  with  the 
smart  equipages  of  the  wealth  and  fashion  of  the  city,  while 
its  greenswards  and  inviting  groves  are  musical  with  bright 
and  happy  children.  The  Parque  Cousino  is  to  Santiago 
what  Palermo  is  to  Buenos  Aires,  and  what  Central  Park 
is  to  New  York. 

But  by  far  the  most  fascinating  spot  in  the  metropolis 
is  the  famous  Cerrito  de  Santa  Lucia.  From  its  summit 
one  has  views  that  are  surpassed  in  magnificence  only  by 
those  which  greet  the  vision  from  the  lofty  peaks  which 
stand  as  sentinels  around  the  matchless  bay  of  Rio  de 
Janeiro.  The  historian,  Padre  Alonzo  de  Ovalle,  writing, 
nearly  three  centuries  ago,  of  the  valley  of  Mapocho  and 
the  hill  of  Santa  Lucia,  says : 

“In  this  valley,  two  leagues  from  the  Cordillera,  by 
the  side  of  the  river  Mapocho,  God  has  planted  a moun- 
tain of  beautiful  aspect  and  proportion  which  is  like  a 
watchtower,  from  which  the  whole  plain  is  disclosed 
to  view  with  its  attractive  meadows  and  cultivated 
fields.”1 

This  singular  hill,  of  volcanic  origin,  somewhat  resem- 
bles in  form  and  size  the  Acropolis  of  Athens.  Before  the 
arrival  of  the  Conquistadores,  it  was  to  the  Indians  who 
lived  in  its  vicinity  an  object  of  veneration.  To  them  it 
was  known  under  the  name  of  Huelen.  Valdivia  converted 
it  into  a stronghold  and  here  his  brave  little  band  was  able 
to  withstand  the  countless  attacks  of  savage  hordes  until 
reenforcements  from  Peru  came  to  their  relief. 

It  is  now,  however,  quite  different  in  appearance  from 
what  it  was  in  the  days  of  the  conquerors.  From  a fortress 
of  bare,  somber  rock  it  has  been  converted  into  an  exquisite 
pleasance,  gay  with  flowers,  adorned  with  shrubs,  trees, 
statues,  and  provided  with  terraces,  balconies,  belvederes, 
winding  pathways,  Swiss  restaurants,  summer  theaters,  and 
everything  that  can  contribute  to  the  pleasure  and  com- 

‘“Historica  Eelaeion  del  Beyno  de  Chile,”  p.  152,  Eome,  1646. 

283 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


fort  of  the  multitudes  who  frequent  this  most  popular  and 
delightful  of  trysting-places. 

Among  the  statues  there  were  two  that  specially  arrested 
our  attention.  One,  in  white  marble,  exhibited  Valdivia  in 
a standing  posture  and  apparently  buried  in  deep  thought. 
On  the  base  of  the  statue  is  an  inscription  which  tells  the 
passerby  that  on  this  spot  the  captain  and  first  governor 
of  Chile  encamped  his  troop  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men 
and  founded  the  city  of  Santiago  in  1541.  No  more  appro- 
priate place  could  have  been  found  for  a monument  to 
the  memory  of  the  illustrious  Conquistador.  He  was  more 
fortunate  than  his  famous  chief,  Francisco  Pizarro,  for,  as 
yet,  Peru  has  not  decreed  a statue  to  the  conqueror  of  the 
Incas,  although  there  are  not  a few  who  think  that  the 
founder  of  the  great  Peruvian  vice-royalty  and  “the  per- 
sonification of  an  entire  epopee”  is  justly  entitled  to  this 
and  even  to  a greater  honor.1 

Another  statue,  in  bronze,  the  work  of  the  Chilean  sculp- 
tor, Don  Nicanor  Plaza,  is  a strikingly  dramatic  represen- 
tation of  Valdivia’s  famous  antagonist,  the  Araucanian 
chief,  Caupolican,  who  has  been  immortalized  in  Ercilla’s 
noted  epic,  ‘ ‘ La  Araucana.  ” 2 As  I contemplated  this  noble 
creation,  I realized,  as  never  before,  how  well  deserved 
were  the  Sr.  Plaza’s  triumphs  in  the  Paris  Salon  where  his 
productions  have  long  occupied  a conspicuous  position 
among  the  great  chef -d’ oeuvres  of  contemporary  art.  One 
could  fancy  that  the  poet  Campbell  had  this  statue  of  the 
dauntless  Indian  warrior  before  him  when  he  indited  in  his 
“Gertrude  of  Wyoming”  the  forceful,  graphic  lines: 

As  monumental  bronze,  unchanged  his  look ; 

A soul  that  pity  touch’d,  but  never  shook; 

1 See  the  author ’s  ‘ ‘ Along  the  Andes  and  Down  the  Amazon,  ’ ’ p.  248  et  seq. 

*It  may  surprise  most  people  of  New  York  to  learn  that  the  much 
admired  bronze  statue  of  The  Last  of  the  Mohicans  in  Central  Park  is  but  a 
replica  of  the  one  on  the  Cerrito  of  Santa  Lucia. 

284 


SANTIAGO  DEL  NUEVO  EXTREMO 


Train’d  from  his  tree-rock ’d  cradle  to  his  bier, 

The  fierce  extreme  of  good  and  ill  to  brook, 

Impassive — fearing  but  the  shame  of  fear — 

A stoic  of  the  woods — a man  without  a tear. 1 

The  view  from  the  pavilion  on  the  summit  of  Santa 
Lucia  is  one  of  rare  beauty  and  grandeur.  Immediately 
surrounding  the  Cerrito  is  the  city  with  its  checkerboard 
streets,  its  palaces  of  the  rich,  its  homes  of  the  poor,  its 
schools,  its  convents,  its  churches  from  whose  towers  are 
wafted  the  sounds  of  melodious,  chiming  bells  calling  to 
prayer.  Farther  afield  are  smiling  gardens  and  vineyards 
and  broad  acres  of  wheat  and  maize  and  barley,  while  be- 
yond all  these  are  green  meadows  dotted  with  flocks  of 
sheep,  herds  of  cattle  and  troops  of  horses,  the  joy  of  their 
vigilant  caretakers  and  the  pride  of  some  stock-loving 
hacendado.  Near  the  foothills  of  the  Andes  is  the  lofty 
conical  peak  of  San  Cliristobal  surmounted  by  a colossal 
statue  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  modeled  after  the 
much  smaller  one  that  graces  the  noble  column  in  the  Piazza 
d’Espagna  in  Rome.  The  Virgin  Mother  seems,  on  her 
exalted  pinnacle,  to  be  in  the  attitude  of  imploring  bless- 
ings on  the  city  beneath  her,  as  the  Christo  Redentor  on 
the  summit  of  the  Cordillera  appears  to  be  in  the  act  of 
blessing  the  peoples  of  the  two  adjacent  Republics.  Then 
many  leagues  to  the  eastward — although,  in  the  marvelously 
clear  atmosphere,  it  seems  but  a stone’s  throw  away— is 
the  cloud-cleaving,  snow-covered  crest  of  the  Andes — from 

1 Ercilla  in  ‘ ‘ La  Araucana,  ’ ’ in  his  pen-picture  of  Caupolican,  tells  us 
This  noble  youth  was  of  the  highest  state; 

His  actions  honor’d  and  his  words  of  weight; 

Prompt  and  resolv’d  in  every  generous  cause, 

A friend  to  justice  and  her  sternest  laws; 

Fashion’d  for  sudden  feats,  or  toils  of  length. 

His  limbs  possess’d  both  suppleness  and  strength; 

Dauntless  his  mind,  determin’d  and  adroit 
In  every  quick  and  hazardous  exploit. 


285 


— Canto  II. 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


which,  in  all  his  majesty,  rises  giant  Aconcagua  like  a 
watch-tower  of  the  universe. 

But  if  one  would  see  at  its  best  the  sublime  panorama 
which  unfolds  itself  before  one’s  gaze  while  standing  on 
the  summit  of  Santa  Lucia,  one  must  ascend  the  Cerrito 
near  the  hour  of  sunset.  Then  the  viewr  of  the  vast  moun- 
tain range  is  incomparable.  Then  the  scintillating,  snow- 
clad  peaks  rise  heavenwards  like  pinnacles  of  burnished 
gold.  But  soon  the  gold  shades  into  ruby  and  topaz, 
chrysoprase  and  sapphire.  At  the  same  time  the  foothills, 
with  their  bare  masses  of  gray  granite,  black  basalt  and 
reddish-brown  porphyry,  with  all  the  sculpturesque  beauty 
and  sublimity  of  mountain  structure,  have  cast  over  them, 
by  an  unseen  hand,  delicate  veils  of  gauze  and  gossamer  with 
ever-changing  tints  of  mauve  and  lilac,  emerald-green  and 
Tyrian  purple.  The  tutelary  genii  of  Mercedario,  Acon- 
cagua and  Tupungato  seemed  bent  on  making  me  forget 
all  past  mountain  glories  from  those  of  Misti  and  Sorata, 
Cotopaxi  and  Chimborazo  to  those  of  the  cloud-piercing 
peaks  of  arctic  Alaska  and  of  the  coral-girt  islands  of  the 
Southern  Sea. 

As  I bade  adieu  to  this  magnificent  landscape — bathed 
in  the  mountain  air  and  the  fabulous  dyes  of  the  setting 
sun — with  its  immeasurable  distances  painted  in  turquoise 
and  amethyst;  with  the  snowy  crest  of  the  Cordillera 
touched  with  the  softest  roseate  flush;  with  the  emerald 
plain  at  its  foot  veiled  in  a delicate,  aerial  fabric  of  azure; 
with  the  towers  and  domes  of  the  city  suffused  wfith  a va- 
porous radiance  exquisitely  ethereal  and  translucent;  with 
the  stately  palms  of  Santa  Lucia  tossing  their  graceful 
fronds  in  the  fading  twilight  and  vibrating  to  the  bewitch- 
ing symphony  of  perfectly  modulated  light  and  color,  it 
was  easy  to  imagine  the  picturesque  old  fortress — where 
Valdivia  in  the  long-ago  planted  the  glorious  banner  of 
Castile — to  be  “a  fancy-thralling  work  of  wonder,  like 
some  castle  reared  by  Atlante’s  magic  for  the  imprison- 

286 


SANTIAGO  DEL  NUEVO  EXTREMO 


ment  of  Ruggiero,  or  palace  sought  in  fairyland  by  Astolf 
winding  liis  enchanted  horn.” 

I must  hasten,  however,  to  state  that,  notwithstanding 
its  attractive  palaces  and  parks  and  alamedas  and  the 
scenic  marvels  of  mountain  and  plain,  as  seen  from  beau- 
tiful Santa  Lucia,  my  chief  interest  in  Santiago,  aside  from 
her  courteous,  cultured  and  hospitable  people,  centered 
in  her  admirable  educational  and  philanthropic  institu- 
tions. I was  prepared  to  find  in  them  much  of  the  high- 
est order  of  excellence,  but  the  reality  far  exceeded  all  my 
preconceived  notions  respecting  them  and  the  splendid  work 
which  they  accomplish. 

During  colonial  times  education  in  Chile,  as  in  other 
parts  of  Spanish  America,  was  chiefly  in  the  hands  of  the 
hierarchy  and  the  various  religious  orders.  The  results 
achieved  by  the  institutions  under  their  control  may  be 
gauged  by  the  achievements  of  the  universities  of  Mexico, 
Lima,  Cordoba  and  Chuquisaca,  by  the  scholars  they  sent 
into  the  world,  by  the  countless  volumes  on  science,  litera- 
ture, history  and  arclneology  which  are  due  to  the  pens  of 
their  learned  alumni  and,  still  more,  by  the  exalted  position 
in  church  and  state  which  was  attained  by  their  stu- 
dents after  they  had  left  the  classic  halls  of  their  alma 
mater. 

I have  already  spoken  of  Dean  Funes,  first  rector,  after 
its  reorganization,  of  the  University  of  Cordoba — the  man 
who  as  a scholar,  an  ecclesiastic,  a statesman,  holds  a 
unique  position  of  eminence  in  South  America,  if  not  in 
the  Western  Hemisphere.  I wish  now  to  say  a few 
words  about  another  distinguished  scholar  and  educator 
who  was  the  reorganizer  and  rector  of  the  national  Uni- 
versity of  Santiago,  which  he  modeled  after  those  of  Great 
Britain. 

This  was  Don  Andres  Bello,  who  was  born  in  Caracas, 
Venezuela,  and  who,  after  completing  a thorough  course 
of  studies  in  the  institutions  of  his  native  city,  became 

287 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


the  teacher  and  associate  of  Bolivar  in  the  war  of  inde- 
pendence. He  was  the  friend  of  Humboldt,  whom  he  ac- 
companied in  several  of  the  scientific  expeditions  of  the 
noted  savant.  Shortly  after  the  declaration  of  the  war 
of  independence,  he  was  sent  as  a representative  of  the 
patriots  to  England,  where  he  remained  in  the  service  of 
his  country  for  nearly  twenty  years.  Here  he  was  cele- 
brated as  a poet  as  well  as  a man  of  vast  and  varied  erudi- 
tion. From  London  he  went  to  Chile,  which  became  thence- 
forth his  adopted  country.  Not  long  after  his  arrival  in 
Santiago  he  entered  upon  the  career  for  which  his  pre- 
vious labors  had  so  well  prepared  him,  that  of  an  educator. 
After  reorganizing  the  University  of  Chile,  he  became,  in 
1843,  its  first  rector,  a position  which  he  held  for  many 
years.  He  was  the  author  of  learned  and  valuable  works 
on  many  subjects:  on  literature,  philosophy  and  jurispru- 
dence. He  practically  wrote  the  “Codigo  Civil  Cliileno,” 
which  subsequently  became  the  model  of  the  civil  codes  of 
various  other  countries  of  Spanish  America.  So  great  was 
his  reputation  for  knowledge  and  rectitude  that  he  was,  in 
his  later  years,  chosen  as  an  arbitrator  in  international 
questions,  as,  for  instance,  in  the  controversy  between  Ecua- 
dor and  the  United  States  in  1864,  and  also  between  Colom- 
bia and  Peru  in  1865.  “The  development  of  Chilean  civili- 
zation,” declares  the  noted  Spanish  scholar,  M.  Menendez 
y Pelayo,  “is  in  great  part  his  work.  And  when  he  died 
in  1865,”  continues  the  same  author,  “he  left  behind  him 
the  most  venerable  name  in  American  history.”1  His 
death  was  mourned  by  the  whole  Chilean  people.  In  1872, 
the  Chilean  government  authorized  the  publication  of  the 
great  scholar’s  works,  comprising  twelve  volumes,  at  the 
national  expense.  In  1881,  the  centennial  anniversary  of 


1 El  (lesarollo  de  la  eivilizacion  chilena  es  en  gran  parte  obra  suya.  Fal- 
lecid  el  15  de  Octubre,  1865,  dejando  el  nombro  mas  venerable  en  la  historia 
Americana.  “Antologia  de  Poetas  Ilispano-Americanas,”  Tom.  II,  p.  CXIX, 
Madrid,  1893. 


288 


SANTIAGO  DEL  NUEVO  EXTREMO 


his  birth  was  celebrated  in  Santiago  with  a splendor  that 
did  credit  to  the  grateful  and  appreciative  people  of  his 
adopted  country. 

As  I stood  before  the  statue  of  this  remarkable  man, 
which  greets  the  visitor  as  he  enters  the  national  library 
of  Santiago,  and  recalled  his  achievements  as  a poet,  a 
critic,  a philosopher,  an  educator,  a statesman,  a juris- 
consult, I asked  myself  if  our  own  country  had  yet  pro- 
duced anyone  who  had  his  marvelous  versatility  and  who 
had  won  undying  fame  in  so  many  spheres  of  intellectual 
effort.  The  United  States  can  point  to  many  of  her  sons 
who  have  been  distinguished  in  several  branches  of  knowl- 
edge, but  I doubt  whether  a single  one  can  be  named  who 
was  really  eminent  in  so  many  and  so  diverse  things  of 
the  mind  as  was  Andres  Bello  y Lopez. 

And  yet  he,  like  his  illustrious  contemporary,  Dean 
Funes,  is  practically  unknown  outside  of  South  America. 
Cyclopaedias  that  give  long  accounts  of  comparative  nonen- 
tities do  not  even  mention  his  name.  And  to  think  that 
a man  who  has  rendered  such  great  services  to  humanity — 
a man  about  whom  a literature  is  already  beginning  to 
form  in  Spanish  America,  as  one  began  to  form  about  the 
illustrious  Goethe  a century  ago — should  be  ignored  in 
a country  like  ours,  which  should  be  in  closer  rapport  with 
the  scholarship  of  Latin  America  than  any  other  nation  in 
the  world ! 1 

To  say  that  the  University  of  Chile  has  developed  along 
the  lines  indicated  by  its  virtual  founder  is  not  only  a 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  Andres  Bello,  but  also  a tribute 
to  the  enterprise  and  zeal  of  the  people  of  Chile  in  the 
cause  of  higher  education.  One  of  the  best  evidences  of 
the  ability  of  its  teaching  staff  is  the  fact  that  the  uni- 

1 Among  the  many  biographies  of  Andres  Bello,  which  have  already  ap- 
peared, the  “Vida  de  D.  Andres  Bello,”  by  one  of  his  pupils,  D.  Miguel  Luis 
Amunategui,  published  in  Santiago,  in  1882,  is  by  far  the  best.  It  ranks  with 
the  best  English  biographies. 


289 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


versity  is  frequented  by  students  from  the  most  distant 
republics  of  the  South  American  continent. 

But  the  National  University  is  not  the  only  institution 
for  higher  education  in  Chile  that  deserves  special  no- 
tice. I should  ignore  one  of  Chile’s  noblest  homes  of  learn- 
ing if  I did  not  bear  witness  to  the  splendid  work  being 
done  in  the  great  Universidad  Catolica  which,  thanks  to  the 
munificence  of  a number  of  wealthy  Chileans,  was  founded 
in  1888  by  the  late  Archbishop  of  Santiago,  Don  Mariano 
Casanova.  Its  magnificent  buildings,  which  are  unsur- 
passed by  any  of  the  numerous  and  superb  educational 
structures  in  South  America,  are  among  the  most  impos- 
ing edifices  in  the  national  capital.  Its  teaching  corps  is 
composed  of  eminent  men  in  every  department.  Many  of 
them  are  distinguished  professors  from  Europe.  Others, 
especially  in  the  faculty  of  law,  are  leading  members  of 
the  senate  and  of  the  chamber  of  deputies.  Its  industrial 
and  agricultural  schools  are  admirably  conducted,  and, 
when  the  present  program  of  its  regents  is  fully  carried 
out,  its  medical  school  will  be  a credit  both  to  the  university 
and  to  the  nation.  The  people  of  Santiago  are  justly  proud 
of  this  latest  addition  to  their  institutions  of  higher  edu- 
cation, and  well  they  may  be,  for  it  is  not  only  an  orna- 
ment to  their  city,  but  also  an  honor  to  the  entire  republic. 

Lack  of  space  precludes  my  speaking  of  many  other 
splendid  institutions  of  learning  which  it  was  my  privilege 
to  visit.  I may,  however,  be  permitted  to  express  my  admi- 
ration of  the  admirable  work  done  in  the  convent  schools, 
especially  those  conducted  by  the  Ladies  of  the  Sacred 
Heart.  This  well-known  community  has  nowhere  in  the 
world  more  zealous,  more  competent,  or  more  enthusiastic 
teachers  than  those  in  charge  of  the  two  excellent  academies 
of  the  Sagrado  Corazon  in  Santiago.  They  are  patronized 
by  the  best  families  of  the  city.  Among  the  pupils  I had 
the  pleasure  of  meeting  were  many  whose  ancestors  have 
left  their  mark  in  history  as  Conquistadores  and  heroes 

290 


SANTIAGO  DEL  NUEVO  EXTREMO 


of  the  war  of  independence.  And  brighter  and  more  ear- 
nest students  I have  never  met  anywhere.  They  were  de- 
lighted to  have  me  examine  their  work  in  art,  literature 
and  history,  and,  in  truth,  I was  agreeably  surprised  at  its 
quality  and  thoroughness. 

But  I must  say  that  the  institution  which  I examined 
with  most  pleasure  was  the  ecclesiastical  seminary.  The 
building,  which  is  very  large,  is  surrounded  by  enchanting 
beds  of  flowers  and  inviting  groves  of  umbrageous  trees 
and  is  an  ideal  place  of  study  for  young  aspirants  to  the 
priesthood.  And  the  course  of  study  in  this  institution  is 
not  only  thorough,  but  is  admirably  adapted  to  equip  the 
young  priests  for  their  divers  and  important  duties  in  the 
world  as  parish  priests,  missionaries  and  educators. 

The  beneficent  results  of  the  thorough  training  which 
these  young  Levites  receive  in  the  seminary  are  manifested 
in  the  most  striking  manner  in  the  present  religious  and 
social  condition  of  the  people.  The  churches  are  crowded 
on  Sunday,  with  men  as  well  as  women.  The  throngs  that 
fill  the  streets,  from  early  morning  until  midday,  on  their 
way  to  church,  have  been  likened  to  a romeria — a pilgrim- 
age. And  these  multitudes  frequent  the  places  of  worship 
not  to  see  and  to  be  seen,  but  as  a religious  duty  which  they 
never  think  of  neglecting. 

The  traditional  garb  for  women  in  Santiago,  as  in  Lima, 
is  the  manto.  This  is  de  rigueur  for  all,  irrespective  of 
wealth  or  rank,  when  attending  church.  It  is  a large, 
square  black  shawl,  which  is  worn  over  the  head  and  shoul- 
ders and  is  gathered  in  graceful  draperies  about  the  body. 
Usually  it  is  of  plain  alpaca,  or  cashmere,  but  not  infre- 
quently it  is  beautifully  embroidered  silk,  or  crepe  de  chine. 
Nothing  is  more  becoming,  or  more  appropriate  in  church, 
and  I am  sure  my  readers  will  agree  with  a recent  writer 
in  regarding  it  as  “a  pleasing  idea  that  all  classes  should 
thus  appear  garbed  alike  in  the  House  of  God,  the  Court 
of  Heaven.”  The  same  writer  playfully  remarks  that  “To 

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THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


see  some  five  or  six  of  these  black  ladies  gossiping  in  the 
street  gives  one  quite  a curious  idea,  as  of  nuns  broken 
loose.” 

But  in  nothing  is  the  influence  of  the  Church  on  the 
masses  more  manifest  than  in  the  success  of  her  efforts 
in  the  preservation  of  peace  and  in  composing  the  dif- 
ferences between  the  aristocracy  and  the  proletariat — 
between  the  roto — the  half-caste  laboring  man,  a descend- 
ant of  the  Spaniard  and  the  Indian — and  the  great  landed 
proprietor. 

Many  people  in  our  country  imagine  that  Chile,  like 
Haiti,  is  constantly  in  the  throes  of  revolution.  The  fact 
is  that  there  has  been  only  one  revolution  in  nearly  sixty 
years.  Indeed,  there  are  few  other  countries  that  have 
been  so  free  from  internecine  strife  as  Chile.  This  is  due, 
in  great  measure,  to  the  far-reaching  influence  of  the 
clergy,  which  is  always  exerted  in  behalf  of  peace.  Their 
untiring  efforts,  a few  years  ago,  to  prevent  a threatened 
war  between  their  own  country  and  Argentine  were,  to  a 
great  extent,  instrumental  in  securing  that  peace  which 
was  cemented  by  the  erection  of  that  noble  statue  of  Christ 
the  Redeemer  on  the  summit  of  the  Andes. 

It  is  only  recently  that  socialism — especially  in  the  great 
mining  and  industrial  centers — has  become  a menace.  The 
failure  of  socialistic  agitation  thus  far  is,  in  some  measure, 
due  to  the  absence  in  Chile  of  a bourgeois  class ; for  such 
a class  would  bridge  over  the  wide  chasm  that  separates 
the  rotos,  or  peons,  from  the  aristocrats.  The  quasi-feudal 
system,  on  which  Chilean  politics  for  a century  has  been 
based,  is  daily  becoming  less  adapted  to  modern  social  and 
economic  conditions;  and  the  patriarchal  habits  of  life, 
which  have  so  long  prevailed  on  the  great  haciendas,  are 
sure,  at  no  distant  day,  to  undergo  important  changes. 
The  problem  confronting  the  statesmen  of  Chile  is  to  have 
these  changes  effected  without  exposing  the  country  to  the 
convulsions  of  a social  revolution.  The  question  of  capital 

292 


SANTIAGO  DEL  NUEVO  EXTREMO 


and  labor  is  also  demanding  attention,  as  is  also  that  of 
trade-unionism,  which  has  only  recently  begun  to  assert  its 
power. 

Fortunately,  the  influence  of  the  clergy  on  the  laboring 
classes  is  so  potent  and  so  far-reaching  that  there  is,  at 
least  for  the  present,  but  little  to  be  apprehended  from  the 
propaganda  of  socialistic  agitators.  The  priests  of  Chile, 
under  the  leadership  of  the  venerable  archbishop  of  San- 
tiago, Monsignor  Ignacio  Gonzalez  Eyzaguire,  make  the 
study  of  social  questions,  and  the  instruction  and  relief  of 
the  poor  and  the  laboring  classes,  an  important  part  of 
their  ministry.  Through  the  agency  of  La  Federacion 
Nacional  de  las  Obras  Sociales  Catolicas,  they  have  already 
accomplished  wonders  for  the  elevation  of  the  submerged 
tenth  and  for  the  amelioration  of  their  condition.  In  order 
that  the  clergy  may  be  properly  prepared  for  intelligent 
action  in  dealing  with  all  social  problems  which  may  de- 
mand solution,  special  chairs  of  sociology  have  been  estab- 
lished in  the  seminaries  of  Santiago  and  Concepcion,  as 
well  as  in  the  Catholic  University.  Might  not  some  of  our 
ecclesiastical  institutions  in  other  countries  do  well  to  imi- 
tate the  example  of  Chile  in  this  respect? 

Through  the  courtesy  of  the  venerable  Archbishop  of 
Santiago,  who  gave  a breakfast  in  our  honor,  I was  able 
to  meet  many  of  the  priests  and  laymen  who  cooperate  with 
him  in  all  matters  of  social  progress  among  the  laboring 
classes;  and  truth  compels  me  to  say  that  I have  never 
met  anywhere  a more  earnest  or  intelligent  body  of  men, 
or  men  more  devoted  to  the  uplifting  of  the  poor  and  the 
lowly.  While  conversing  with  these  learned  and  self- 
sacrificing  men  regarding  their  various  activities  as  edu- 
cators, missionaries  and  social  workers,  I could  not  but 
recall  the  splendid  tribute  paid  to  them  some  years  ago 
in  the  Chilean  Congress  by  one  of  its  ablest  and  most  elo- 
quent representatives.  In  a stirring  discourse,  which 
still  thrills  every  true  Chilean,  the  gifted  orator  declares 

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THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


that:  “the  clergy  are  the  honor  of  our  country,”  and  that 
“no  other  nation  possesses  a similar  body  of  men  who  are 
more  enlightened,  more  virtuous  and  more  respectable.”1 
This  judgment  is  ratified  by  Prince  Louis  d’Orleans- 
Bragance,  the  grandson  of  the  late  Emperor  Dom  Pedro, 
of  Brazil,  who,  in  speaking  of  the  Church  in  Chile,  asserts 
that  ‘ ‘ The  Church  has  never  been  more  flourishing  nor  more 
powerful  than  in  our  day.  ’ ’ 2 

Under  the  guidance  of  such  learned  and  saintly  prel- 
ates as  the  late  Archbishop  of  Santiago,  Monsignor  Mariano 
Casanova,  who  was  the  founder  of  the  Catholic  University, 
and  the  present  metropolitan  who  is  affectionately  spoken 
of  among  his  people  as  “The  Father  and  the  Apostle  of 
Workingmen,”  the  Chilean  clergy  could  not  be  other  than 
a dominant  force  in  all  that  makes  for  the  progress  of 
religion  and  knowledge.  In  his  zeal  for  the  welfare  of  his 
people,  in  his  interest  in  higher  education,  in  his  initiative 
and  enterprise,  in  his  broad  spirit  of  charity,  irrespective 
of  color  or  creed,  Archbishoji  Gonzalez  is  the  same  type  of 
man  as  our  Archbishop  Ireland,  or  as  the  late  Cardinal 
Manning.  He  has  always  been  an  ardent  champion  of 
the  press  and  places  a high  value  on  its  apostolate.  He 
is  the  founder  of  La  Union  which,  with  El  Mercurio,  is  the 
most  important  newspaper  in  Chile.  It  is  a daily  paper 
and  is  published  not  only  in  Santiago,  but  also  in  Val- 
paraiso and  Concepcion.  To  give  an  idea  of  the  Arch- 
bishop’s appreciation  of  the  value  and  influence  of  the 
press,  which  he  calls  the  pride  of  his  country,  it  suffices 
to  relate  a characteristic  incident.  The  thirteenth  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1812,  was  the  centenary  of  the  foundation  of 
La  Aurora,  the  first  journal  printed  on  Chilean  soil.  In  a 
truly  noble  letter  he  calls  on  his  people  to  prepare  to 
solemnize  in  a worthy  manner  “an  anniversary  which  is 

1 Don  Carlos  Walker  Martinez,  whose  notable  discourse  has  been  published 
under  the  title  El  Liberalismo  ante  los  Principios  Ilcligiosos  en  Chile. 

’“Sous  La  Croix  de  Sud,  “ p.  191,  Paris,  1912. 

294 


SANTIAGO  DEL  NUEVO  EXTREMO 


a glory  for  national  thought.”  He  asks  the  pastors  of 
parishes  to  address  their  flocks  on  the  importance  of  the 
press  and  prescribes  that  at  the  exact  hour,  half-past  six 
in  the  morning,  when  La  Aurora  first  appeared,  there 
should  be  a general  ringing  of  bells  in  all  the  churches 
within  his  jurisdiction.1 

In  connection  with  the  educational  work  of  Chile,  I 
should  like  to  say  something  regarding  the  art  and  the 
literature  of  this  progressive  country.  But  a large  vol- 
ume would  be  required  to  do  even  partial  justice  to  these 
interesting  subjects.  I must,  however,  advert  to  the  charm- 
ing classic  of  the  soldier-poet,  Ercilla,  which  led  Andres 
Bello  to  declare : ‘ ‘ Chile  is  the  only  one  of  modern  nations 
whose  foundations  have  been  immortalized  by  an  epic 
poem” — a poem  which  Cervantes,  in  his  Don  Quixote, 
declared  to  be  ‘ ‘ one  of  the  choicest  treasures  of  the  Castilian 
Muse.”  Several  similar  poems  were  written  in  Spanish 
America  during  the  colonial  period,  but  they  are  valuable 
rather  as  history  than  as  poetry.  Among  them  are  the 
* ‘ Elegias  de  Varones  Ilustres  de  Indias,  ” by  the  poet-priest, 
Juan  de  Castellanos;  “La  Argentina,”  by  Padre  Barco 
Centenera;  “Lima  Fundada  6 Conquista  del  Peru,”  by 
Peralta  Barnuevo,  not  to  speak  of  a number  of  others  of 
far  less  merit. 

Not  only  is  Chile  unique,  among  modern  nations,  in  hav- 
ing its  foundation  glorified  by  a great  epic,  but  it  is  also 
unique  among  the  nations  of  the  New  World  in  having  its 
literary  genesis  signalized  by  so  excellent  a work  as  “La 
Araucana.”  Although  it  is  a product  of  Spanish  genius, 
it  is  nevertheless  so  identified  with  the  soil  which  the  author 
trod  as  a Conquistador,  and  with  the  intrepid  natives  whom 
he  admired  and  sympathized  with,  that  it  would  be  a grave 
omission  not  to  salute  the  noble  figure  of  Ercilla,  especially 

xIt  is  interesting  to  know  that  La  Aurora  was  founded  by  a religious, 
Padre  Camilo  Henriquez,  who  through  its  columns  rendered  yeoman  service  to 
the  patriot  cause  during  the  war  of  emancipation. 

295 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


when  his  poem  served  as  the  type  of  all  those  historical 
poems  which  were  written  in  America  or  on  America  dur- 
ing the  period  of  Spanish  domination.1 

Ercilla’s  great  historical  poem  was  the  beginning  of 
that  traditional  love  in  Chile  for  historical  researches  which 
was  never  more  pronounced  than  it  is  today.  For,  outside 
of  Peru,  whose  long  line  of  historians  is  headed  by  such 
distinguished  names  as  the  Inca  Garcillasso  de  la  Vega  and 
Cieza  de  Leon,  there  is  no  country  in  South  America  which 
can  count  more  active  and  intelligent  workers  in  the  fields 
of  history  and  archeology  than  Chile.  Aside  from  such 
noted  historians  as  Molina,  Eosales,  Ovalle  and  Olivares, 
all  missionaries,  whose  productions  belong  to  the  colonial 
period,  we  have  among  recent  and  contemporary  historians 
such  eminent  investigators  as  B.  Vicuna  Mackenna,  R.  Bar- 
ros  Arana,  M.  L.  Amunategui,  Crescente  Errazuriz,  T. 
Thayer-Ojeda,  Carlos  Morla  Vicuna,  Valdez  Vergara  and 
Toribio  Medina,  the  last  of  whom  is  doing  for  his  native 
land  what  the  late  D.  J.  Garcia  Icazbalceta  accomplished 
for  Mexico.  It  was  this  tireless  and  fruitful  activity  of 
Chilean  historians  that  impelled  the  learned  Spanish 
author,  M.  Menendez  y Pelayo,  to  declare:  “That  there 
is  not  a corner  in  their  history  that  the  Chileans  have  not 
scrutinized,  not  a paper  in  their  archives  or  in  ours  that 
they  do  not  print  and  annotate.  Chile,  a colony  of  the 
second  order  during  Spanish  domination,  has  more  ex- 
tended histories  than  that  of  Rome  by  Mommsen,  than  that 
of  Greece  by  Curtius  or  by  Grote.  ’ ’ 2 The  imposing  ‘ ‘ Colec- 
cion  de  Historiadores  de  Chile  y Documentos  Relativos  a 
la  Historia  Nacional”  and  similar  collections  which  have 
recently  been  published  by  the  Chilean  Government  show 
that  this  statement  is  in  no  wise  exaggerated. 

The  Chilena,  like  her  sisters  in  other  parts  of  Spanish 
America,  is  noted  for  her  great  interest  in  all  works  of 

1 Cf.  M.  Menendez  y Pelayo,  op.  cit.,  Tom,  IV,  p.  vi. 

s Op.  cit.,  Tom.  IV,  p.  LXXXVI. 

296 


SANTIAGO  DEL  NUEVO  EXTREMO 


charity.  In  hospitals  and  orphan  asylums,  in  homes  for 
the  aged  and  in  institutions  for  the  blind,  the  deaf  and  the 
dumb,  the  Chilean  woman  shows  herself  indefatigable.  She 
is  ever  ready  to  give  her  time  and  money  for  the  relief 
of  the  poor  and  the  suffering  and  is  never  happier  than 
when  looking  after  the  helpless  and  the  neglected.  “Whose 
magnificent  residence  is  that?”  I asked  my  chauffeur  one 
day,  when  we  were  passing  along  the  Avenida  de  las 
Delicias.  ‘ 1 That,  senor,  is  the  home  of  the  lady  who  is  the 
great  friend  of  the  poor.  I do  not  know  her  name.  We 
call  her  simply  La  amiga  de  los  pobres.”  A few  squares 
further  on,  he  pointed  out  another  palatial  structure  and 
remarked:  “That,  senor,  is  the  home  of  La  Madre  de  los 
Huerfano s — the  mother  of  the  orphans.  She  takes  care  of 
them  as  if  they  were  her  own  children.  I have  never  heard 
her  spoken  of  by  any  other  name.”  And  so  it  is  every- 
where. The  charming  matron  whom  we  met  at  a banquet, 
or  a reception,  in  the  evening,  arrayed  in  the  latest  creation 
of  Paquin  or  Redfern,  and  adorned  with  jewels  beyond 
price,  had  spent  the  afternoon  in  her  somber  manto,  in 
succoring  the  poorest  of  the  poor  in  their  wretched  hovels, 
or  in  visiting  the  sick  and  the  friendless  in  the  hospital, 
or  in  the  asylum  for  the  aged.  The  following  morning,  if 
you  rise  early  enough,  you  will  find  her  in  her  manto,  like 
a tanagra  in  mourning,  prostrated  before  the  altar  in  one 
of  the  many  churches  of  the  city;  or  it  may  be  you  will 
see  her  in  her  own  private  chapel,  surrounded  by  the  mem- 
bers of  her  family,  preparatory  to  spending  another  day 
among  the  sick  and  the  helpless,  or  to  bringing  sunshine 
and  happiness  into  the  abodes  of  poverty  and  misfortune. 
Is  it  any  wonder  that  these  angels  of  charity  are  known 
to  the  multitude  not  by  their  family  names,  but  simply 
as  “The  Friend  of  the  Poor”  and  “The  Mother  of  the 
Orphan”? 

There  is  a marked  contrast  between  Santiago  and 
Buenos  Aires.  The  capital  on  the  La  Plata  is  cosmopol- 

297 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


itan.  The  metropolis  of  Chile  is  national  and  its  inhab- 
itants are  thoroughly  Chilean.  In  Buenos  Aires  it  is 
difficult  to  find  a typical  Argentine.  In  Santiago  it  is  al- 
most equally  difficult  to  find  one  who  is  not  a Chilean. 
There  are,  of  course,  a certain  number  of  foreigners  in 
Santiago,  but  their  proportion  to  the  native  population  is 
far  smaller  than  in  the  Argentine  capital. 

But  in  one  notable  respect  both  countries  are  alike.  In 
theory  they  are  democracies ; in  reality  they  are  oligarchies. 
A few  hundred  families  descended  from  the  Conquistadores 
and  from  the  heroes  of  foreign  birth  who  achieved  distinc- 
tion in  the  war  of  independence  are  the  rulers  of  the  Re- 
public as  well  as  the  owners  of  the  greater  part  of  the 
land.  The  great  world  of  employees,  functionaries  and 
small  tradespeople  are  little  more  than  dependents,  or 
clients  in  the  old  Roman  sense  of  the  word.  As  to  the  poor 
rotos,  who  live  in  miserable  conventillos,  they  are  no  higher 
in  the  social  scale  than  the  Mexican  peon  and  have  no  more 
than  Mexico’s  peasant  class  to  say  in  the  administration  of 
the  affairs  of  the  government.  The  absence  of  a third  es- 
tate is  a great  drawback.  And,  until  a bourgeoisie  shall 
have  been  developed,  the  aristocracy  in  Chile,  as  in  other 
South  American  republics,  will  continue,  as  at  present,  to 
be  the  dominant  class  and  to  control  the  major  portion  of 
the  great  resources  of  the  nation.  Large  landed  estates 
in  Chile  are  as  great  a bar  to  true  democratic  progress  as 
are  the  vast  latifundia  in  Argentina. 

No  account  of  Santiago  would  be  complete  without  some 
reference  to  its  port,  Valparaiso.  The  two  cities,  in  reality, 
constitute  but  a single  organism.  The  same  may  be  said 
of  Lima  and  its  port  Callao ; of  Quito  and  its  port  Guaya- 
quil. The  puerto  in  each  case  is  but  the  complement  of  the 
pueblo,  or  capital.  In  each  case,  also,  it  is  the  seaport 
which  is  the  chief  emporium  of  commerce,  while  the  capitals 
are  the  chief  centers  of  politics,  of  letters  and  of  culture. 

As  seen  from  the  Pacific,  Valparaiso  resembles  a vast 

298 


SANTIAGO  DEL  NUEVO  EXTREMO 


amphitheater.  A semicircular  mountain  range  seems  to 
rise  almost  from  the  deep  waters  of  the  South  Sea.  There 
is,  in  fact,  hut  little  level  ground  between  the  ocean’s  shore 
and  the  foot  of  the  long  chain  of  cerros — rocky  eminences — 
whose  sides  and  summits  are  covered  with  buildings  of  all 
kinds.  Aside  from  its  charming  suburb,  Vina  del  Mar, 
there  is  little  in  the  appearance  of  the  city  to  justify  its 
name,  Valley  of  Paradise.  But  to  the  Conquistadores  who 
had  seen  little  but  bare  rocks  and  arid  deserts  on  their 
long  journey  from  Callao  to  where  Chile’s  great  seaport 
now  stands,  the  clumps  of  trees  and  beautiful  groves  which 
they  found  on  and  about  the  present  site  of  Valparaiso  were 
quite  enough,  in  their  judgment,  to  warrant  them  in  be- 
stowing on  the  place  the  beautiful  name  it  has  since 
borne.1 

Next  to  San  Francisco,  Valparaiso  is,  in  wealth  and  im- 
portance, the  leading  port  of  entry  on  the  Pacific  coast. 
Most  of  Chile’s  import  and  export  trade  passes  through 
this  flourishing  entrepot.  And  yet  few  cities  have  suffered 
more  reverses  and  disasters  than  Valparaiso.  During 
colonial  times  it  was  frequently  attacked  and  plundered  by 
English  and  Dutch  pirates.  Among  these  were  Sir  Francis 
Drake,  Sir  Richard  Hawkins,  and  Oliver  Van  Noort.  It 
has  many  times  been  devastated  by  fires  and  earthquakes. 
In  the  appalling  seismic  convulsion  of  1906,  an  untold  num- 
ber of  lives  were  lost,  while  the  property  loss,  at  a con- 
servative estimate,  was  not  less  than  a hundred  million  dol- 
lars. But  we  could  discern  little  trace  of  the  last  terrible 
disaster.  Most  of  the  ruins  of  the  old  buildings  have  been 
removed  and  their  sites  are  now  occupied  by  large  and 
commodious  structures.  The  march  of  progress  was  re- 

1 Although  many  reasons  have  been  assigned  for  the  beautiful  name  given 
to  Chile’s  chief  seaport,  both  the  origin  of  the  name  and  the  date  of  the  foun- 
dation of  Valparaiso  are  still  in  doubt.  “Tan  pobre, ’’  writes  Thayer-Ojeda 
in  “Las  Antiguas  Ciudades  de  Chile,’’  p.  61,  “fue  este  puerto  en  sus  primeros 
tiempos,  como  oscuros  son  hasta  hoi  el  origen  de  nombre  i la  fecha  de  su 
fundacion.  ’ ’ 


299 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


tarded  for  only  a very  short  time.  To  judge  from  the 
present  aspect  of  the  city,  from  the  throbbing  life  and 
feverish  activity  of  its  inhabitants,  Valparaiso  is  now  more 
vigorous  and  more  enterprising  than  ever. 

An  object  of  special  interest  to  all  North  Americans  who 
visit  Valparaiso  is  a monument  erected  in  honor  of  one  of 
their  countrymen,  William  Wheelwright.  He  was  the  fa- 
ther of  the  Chilean  railway  and  steamship  lines.  The  first 
railroad  in  South  America  was  built  by  him.  This  was 
in  1857.  It  extended  from  Caldera  to  Copiapo.  He  also 
constructed  the  line  that  was  to  connect  Valparaiso  with 
Santiago,  but,  through  lack  of  funds,  it  was  completed  only 
as  far  as  Lai  Lai.  He  was  likewise  the  originator  of  the 
Pacific  Steam  Navigation  Company,  which,  after  its  organi- 
zation in  1835,  was  for  a long  time  the  most  important 
steamship  company  on  the  west  coast  of  South  America. 

Even  more  famous  as  a railroad  builder  was  Henry 
Meiggs,  born  in  Catskill,  New  York.  He  completed  the 
road  between  Valparaiso  and  Santiago  which  Wheelwright 
had  been  able  to  build  only  as  far  as  Lai  Lai.  He  erected 
a magnificent  home  in  Santiago,  where  he  and  his  Chilean 
wife  entertained  with  lavish  hospitality.  But  Meiggs  is 
more  famous  for  his  railway  achievements  in  Peru.  For 
it  was  he  who  built  the  road  from  Mollendo  to  Arequipa 
and  from  Lima  to  Oroya.  The  last  named  is  the  highest 
railroad  in  the  world.  Meiggs,  like  Wheelwright,  was,  at 
first,  on  account  of  his  daring  and  seemingly  impossible 
projects,  spoken  of  in  South  America  as  a dreamer,  but 
he  was  one  of  those  dreamers  who  was  able  to  convert  his 
dreams  into  realities. 

Like  Buenos  Aires,  Valparaiso  is  a very  cosmopolitan 
city.  Many  of  the  most  prominent  business  men  are  for- 
eigners. Chief  among  these  are  the  English,  the  French 
and  the  Germans.  Until  a few  decades  ago,  the  English 
had  almost  a monopoly  of  Chilean  trade,  and  Valparaiso 
was  spoken  of  as  “A  commercial  adjunct  of  Liverpool.” 

300 


SANTIAGO  DEL  NUEVO  EXTREMO 


But  this  is  no  longer  the  case.  A large  part  of  Chilean 
trade  has  recently  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  energetic 
and  progressive  Germans. 

The  reason  of  this  is  not  far  to  seek,  and  I shall  give 
it  in  the  words  of  an  English  writer  who  deplores  Britain’s 
rapid  decrease  of  commerce  on  the  west  coast  of  South 
America  and  who  does  not  hesitate  to  declare  that,  “unless 
England  wakes  up  and  wakes  up  rapidly,  the  lion’s  share 
of  it  will  undoubtedly  fall  to  Germany  and  the  United 
States.” 

“The  difference,”  he  avers,  “between  English  and  Ger- 
man commercial  houses  in  Valparaiso  and  the  other  cities 
in  Chile  is  marked.  The  English  employees  do  their  work 
well  and  conscientiously,  it  is  true,  but  they  are  prone  to 
manifest  a species  of  insular  superiority,  and  they  rather 
pride  themselves,  as  a rule,  in  being  profoundly  ignorant 
of  the  people,  the  country  and  the  language.  Cricket,  lawn 
tennis,  polo  and  racing  occupy  their  energies ! They  never 
trouble  to  learn  Spanish,  unless  compelled,  because  they 
only  wish  to  make  friends  with  their  own  countrymen ! 
Germans,  on  the  contrary,  mix  with  the  people,  acquire  a 
knowledge  of  the  country,  its  history  and  social  conditions 
and  set  to  work  to  master  Spanish.  The  principals,  too, 
frequently  visit  Chile  and  personally  settle  terms  in  a man- 
ner that  subordinates  cannot.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  they 
are  gradually  acquiring  control  of  Chilean  trade?  ‘Made 
in  Germany,’  I find,  is  a phrase  that  has  been  an  excellent 
advertisement  for  German  merchandise.  Traders  now  go 
direct  to  Germany  for  goods  which  they  formerly  bought 
through  British  intermediaries.”1 

1 ‘‘Chile:  Its  Land  and  People,”  p.  152,  by  Francis  J.  Maitland,  London, 
1914.  Mr.  G.  F.  Scott  Elliott  in  his  recent  work  on  ‘‘Chile,  Its  History  and 
Development,”  p.  272  et  seq.,  London,  1911,  makes  substantially  the  same 
statement,  as  do  all  other  writers  who  have  made  a study  of  the  question.  An- 
other Englishman,  W.  Anderson  Smith,  is  even  more  severe  on  his  countrymen 
in  Chile,  when  he  declares  that  ‘ ‘ They  have  carried  to  the  west  coast  of  South 
America  that  spirit  of  miserable  snobbery  that  all  Thackeray’s  subtle  analysis 

301 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


To  counteract  this  “German  invasion”  where  for  years 
there  was  “practically  an  English  monopoly  of  trade” — I 
use  Mr.  Scott  Elliott’s  own  words — Mr.  Maitland  makes 
a suggestion  which,  if  not  novel,  is  at  least  interesting. 

“A  plea,”  he  writes,  “has  been  made  for  the  better 
advertisement  of  England  by  more  frequent  visits  of  first- 
class  British  battleships  to  Chile.  This  is  an  excellent 
idea,  for,  although  the  government  and  the  governing  class 
in  Chile  are  well  aware  of  Britain’s  overwhelming  mastery 
of  the  sea,  it  is  well  for  the  officials  at  home  to  remem- 
ber that  trade  follows  the  flag,  and  that  there  is  nothing 
that  brings  home  to  the  mind  the  superiority  of  British 
products  so  much  as  an  inspection  of  that  marvel  of 
skill  and  manufacturing  ingenuity,  an  English  dread- 
naught.  ’ ’ 1 

In  view  of  the  intense  and  unceasing  industrial  rivalry 
and  trade  competition  in  South  America  during  the  last 
twenty  years,  this  suggestion,  if  not  original,  seems  to  be  ex- 
tremely chimerical.  For  experience  in  Chile,  as  well  as  in 
other  Latin- American  republics,  has  fully  demonstrated 
that  trade  follows  the  loan;  that  it  follows  the  quality  of 
goods  offered  for  sale;  that  it  follows  the  efficiency  and 
courtesy  of  the  salesman ; that  it  follows  a system  of  credits 

fails  to  make  them  appreciate,  and  that  seems  to  be  inseparable  from  the  race 
and  ineradicable.  ” “ Temperate  Chile,  ’ ’ p.  334,  London,  1899. 

1 Ibid.,  p.  151. 

The  French  writer,  C.  de  Cordemoy,  in  referring  to  the  preponderance 
of  English  commerce  in  Valparaiso,  declares: 

“II  n’y  a qu’un  point  noir  dans  cette  omnipotence  britannique.  C’est  1’ 
Allemande.  Les  maisons  allemandes  remplacent  peu  a peu  les  anglaises.  C’ 
est  un  phenomene  qui  se  reproduit  partout  a l’etranger.  Si  1 ’invasion  con- 
tinue avee  l’intensite  de  ces  dernieres  annees,  Valparaiso  sera  bientot  un 
autre,  un  grand  Valdivia,  la  eolonie  allemande  du  sud  du  Chile;  Pour  qui  a 
beaucoup  voyage  le  veritable  vaincu  de  1870,  sur  le  terrain  commercial,  c’est 
1 ’Angleterre.  La  preponderance  politique  de  1 ’Allemagne  lui  a permis  le 
d6veloppement  de  sa  puissance  mercantile  sur  tous  les  marches  du  globe,  et 
pour  prendre  le  premier  rang  elle  a evince  les  Anglais.  Encore  vint-cinq  ans 
de  ce  regime,  et  la  preponderance  eommerciale  de  la  Grande  Bretagne  aura 
v§cu. ” “Au  Chili,”  pp.  23,  24.  Paris,  1809. 

302 


SANTIAGO  DEL  NUEVO  EXTREMO 


which  is  satisfactoiy  to  the  purchaser;  that  it  follows 
proper  banking  facilities;  that  it  follows  the  flag  not  of 
the  dreadnaught,  but  the  flag  of  the  rapid,  well-equipped, 
well-managed  merchantman. 

Recent  commercial  developments  in  South  America  show 
that  these  observations  are  true  of  trade  with  the  United 
States  as  well  as  with  Germany.  Mr.  Charles  M.  Schwab, 
the  brilliant  and  enterprising  head  of  the  Bethlehem  Steel 
Corporation,  has  just  completed  two  super-dreadnaughts 
for  Argentina,  the  contract  for  the  building  of  which  was 
awarded  him  in  the  face  of  the  most  resolute  competition 
on  the  part  of  English  shipbuilders.  He  is  now  manufac- 
turing the  big  guns  for  Chile’s  coast  defenses.  This  con- 
tract, also,  he  secured  notwithstanding  the  determined 
efforts  made  by  his  competitors  to  obtain  it  for  the 
ordnance  factories  of  Old  England.  But  these  two  impor- 
tant contracts  do  not,  by  any  means,  represent  Mr.  Schwab’s 
greatest  trade  and  industrial  triumphs  in  South  America. 
Hearing  of  a mountain  in  Chile — near  Coquimbo — which 
was  said  to  be  composed  of  the  best  iron  ore  in  the  world, 
he  immediately  sent  a corps  of  mining  engineers  to  in- 
vestigate and  report.  Finding  that  the  ore  was  in  quality 
and  amount  all  that  it  had  been  represented  to  be,  he  im- 
mediately determined  to  buy  the  entire  mountain  and, 
shortly  afterwards,  it  became  the  property  of  the  Bethlehem 
Steel  Corporation.  Mr.  Schwab  is  now  having  a fleet  of 
large  cargo  boats  built  for  the  transportation  of  ore  from 
Coquimbo  to  New  York.  A few  years  hence  the  amount 
of  ore  in  transit  from  his  Chilean  mine  through  the  Panama 
Canal  to  Bethlehem  will  aggregate  no  less  than  two  million 
tons  a year. 

How  much  this  latest  achievement  of  Mr.  Schwab  will 
contribute  toward  developing  closer  trade  relations  between 
the  United  States  and  Chile  is  manifest  to  all.  It  alone  will 
demonstrate,  as  probably  nothing  else,  the  supreme  value 
of  the  Panama  Canal  and  its  great  function  in  bringing 

303 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


nearer  to  each  other  the  republics  of  South  America  and 
the  great  Republic  of  the  north.  It  will  not  only  shorten 
time  and  distance  between  the  two  continents,  but  will  also 
give  the  United  States  an  advantage  in  commercial  rela- 
tions which  it  never  before  possessed. 

And  Mr.  Schwab  is  sure  to  be  followed  by  others  who 
are  seeking  for  profitable  investments  in  our  sister  con- 
tinent. The  natural  resources  of  the  republics  of  the  west 
coast  of  South  America  are  beyond  calculation,  and  there 
is  no  reason  why  American  capital  should  not  take  a lead- 
ing part  in  their  development.  The  experience  of  W.  R. 
Grace  and  Company,  whose  enterprise  has  been  rewarded 
by  fame  and  fortune,  should  stimulate  many  of  our  coun- 
trymen to  follow  in  their  footsteps.  With  the  exception 
of  the  great  American  company  just  named,  the  English, 
Germans  and  French  have  so  far  had  almost  a monopoly 
in  the  commerce  of  Chile  and  Peru.  The  Panama  Canal  has 
put  it  in  our  power  to  control  a greater  part  of  the  trade 
which  has  so  long  been  in  the  hands  of  our  European  com- 
petitors. Never  before  were  conditions  for  the  expansion 
of  our  commerce,  not  in  Chile  only  but  also  in  the  whole 
of  the  Southern  Continent,  so  favorable  as  now.  Shall  we 
take  advantage  of  them?  This  is  a question  which  our  legis- 
lators and  business  men  should  make  haste  to  answer  while 
the  prize  is  within  our  reach,  and  almost  within  our 
grasp. 


CHAPTER  XIV 


IN  FAMED  ARAUCANIA 

Shortly  after  our  arrival  in  Santiago  we  learned  that 
the  government,  whose  guests  we  were,  had  planned  an 
excursion  for  us,  in  a special  cruiser,  to  Punta  Arenas 
and  return.  This  would  have  given  us  an  opportunity  to 
see  the  marvelous  scenery  of  Smyth  Channel  and  the  his- 
toric Strait  of  Magellan.  But  much  as  we  wished  to  avail 
ourselves  of  this  splendid  opportunity  offered  by  our  gen- 
erous hosts  to  view  the  scenery  of  one  of  the  most  pic- 
turesque coastlines  in  the  world,  we  were,  through  lack 
of  time,  obliged  to  forego  what  would  have  been  to  all 
of  us  a fortnight  of  unalloyed  pleasure.  I call  special  atten- 
tion to  this  part  of  the  program  of  our  munificent  enter- 
tainers as  it  gives  a good  idea  of  the  lavish  hospitality  for 
which  the  people  of  Chile  are  so  famous. 

When  our  hosts  were  informed  that  the  limited  time  at 
our  disposal  precluded  our  taking  the  long  voyage  which 
they  had  mapped  out  for  us,  they  were  determined  that 
our  journey  through  the  great  central  valley  of  temperate 
Chile  should,  in  some  measure,  compensate  us  for  what 
we  should  lose  by  our  inability  to  sail  that  part  of  the 
great  South  Sea  which  was  first  traversed  by  the  illustrious 
Portuguese  navigator,  Fernao  de  Magalhaes,  after  he  had 
so  successfully  solved  “the  mystery  of  the  strait”  that  had 
so  preoccupied  Columbus. 

Our  first  objective  after  leaving  Santiago  was  Talcahu- 
ano,  the  chief  naval  station  of  Chile.  We  were  escorted  by 
a number  of  distinguished  Chileans  who  were  to  accompany 

305 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


us  to  the  Argentine  frontier,  and  who  left  nothing  undone 
to  make  our  journey  pleasant  and  profitable. 

We  had  scarcely  left  the  suburbs  of  Chile’s  fair  capital 
when  we  found  ourselves  in  a broad  and  fertile  valley,  not 
unlike  that  of  San  Joaquin  in  California.  It  was  during 
the  last  bright,  balmy  month  of  spring.  The  meadows  were 
carpeted  with  green  and  flowered  with  blue  and  yellow, 
white  and  red,  of  the  most  brilliant  hues.  Herds  of  blooded 
cattle  from  England  and  Holland,  flocks  of  fine  merino 
sheep,  troops  of  splendid  horses  with  a strain  of  the 
Arabian,  gave  life  to  the  flourishing  haciendas  which  spread 
out  on  both  sides  of  the  railway.  Here  were  long  avenues 
of  poplar  and  eucalyptus  leading  to  the  home  of  a pros- 
perous hacendado;  there  were  groups  of  thatched  houses 
of  the  inquilinos  who  acted  as  herdsmen,  or  cultivators  of 
the  soil.  Most  of  them  were  half-castes,  descendants  of 
Conquistadores  and  of  Mapuche  and  Araucanian  Indians. 
They  are  a hardy  race,  these  mestizos,  and,  when  properly 
managed  and  cared  for,  make  excellent  workmen.  Their 
value  to  Chile  will  be  realized  when  it  is  known  that  la- 
borers of  the  black  and  yellow  races  are  not  permitted  in 
the  country.  For  this  reason  all  the  work  on  farms  and 
in  mines — outside  of  that  done  by  immigrants — is  per- 
formed by  the  roto,  the  peasant  native  of  the  soil. 

Besides  extensive  fields  of  wheat,  maize  and  alfalfa, 
there  were  everywhere  immense  vineyards  devoted  to  the 
production  of  almost  every  variety  of  grape.  Although 
the  cultivation  of  the  vine  dates  back  to  the  time  of  the  Con- 
quistadores, little  attention  was  given  to  the  development 
of  the  wine  industry  until  a few  decades  ago.  During 
colonial  times  the  making  of  wine  and  olive  oil  in  Spanish 
America  was  strictly  interdicted  by  the  home  government 
as  interfering  with  the  long-established  industries  of  Murcia 
and  Valencia.  Now  the  product  of  Chile’s  vineyards  is 
surpassed  in  quantity  in  South  America  only  by  that  of 
Argentina.  But  the  quality  of  the  best  Chilean  wines  is 

306 


IN  FAMED  ARAUCANIA 


far  superior  to  anything  found  in  the  colossal  bodegas  of 
Mendoza.  Some  of  the  Chilean  clarets  are  rapidly  ap- 
proaching in  excellence  many  of  the  famous  vintages  of 
Bordeaux,  while  not  a few  of  the  ports  and  sherries  will 
hear  favorable  comparison  with  the  generous  wines  of 
Spain  and  Portugal. 

There  were  also  numerous  plots  devoted  to  the  culti- 
vation of  the  potato.  These  had  a special  interest  for  me 
from  the  fact  that  Chile,  as  botanists  are  now  generally 
agreed,  was  the  original  home  of  this  important  tuber.  So 
far,  in  spite  of  the  most  careful  investigations,  it  has  been 
discovered  wild  in  no  part  of  South  America  outside  of 
Chile.  In  the  southern  part  of  the  Republic  Darwin  found 
it  growing  wild  in  great  abundance  and  exhibiting  remark- 
able vigor.  But  whether  future  research  shall  confirm  the 
present  opinion  of  botanists  that  Chile  is  the  original 
habitat  of  the  solanum  tuberosum , there  is  one  fact  which 
does  not  admit  of  dispute  and  that  is  that  there  are  no- 
where in  Chile  the  large,  mealy,  delicious  tubers  which  we 
have  in  the  United  States. 

The  immense  areas  occupied  by  many  of  the  haciendas 
of  the  central  valley  of  Chile  cannot  fail  to  impress  even 
the  most  casual  observer.  Most  of  them  were  the  lands 
which  were  granted  to  the  Conquistadores  by  Valdivia  as 
a reward  for  their  services  during  the  conquest.  To  the 
lands  were  attached  a certain  number  of  Indians.  This 
was  the  origin  of  the  noted  encomienda  system  which  has 
provoked  so  much  adverse  criticism,  and  which,  from  much 
misunderstanding  as  to  its  true  nature,  has  called  forth 
undeserved  strictures  on  the  Conquistadores  and  their  suc- 
cessors. It  was  essentially  the  Inca  system  of  land  tenure 
as  modified  by  Spanish  feudalism — a system  which  pre- 
vailed in  Chile  until  it  was  abolished  by  the  celebrated 
Irish  governor,  Ambrosio  O’Higgins,  a system  which  was 
the  forerunner  of  the  present  inquilino  system  that  now  ob- 
tains to  so  great  an  extent  in  the  Chilean  Republic.  The 

307 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


encomienda  was  in  reality  a trust,  or  fief,  and  the  en- 
comendero,  in  return  for  the  labor  and  tribute  of  his  de- 
pendent Indians,  was  bound  to  protect  them  and  provide 
them  with  Christian  instruction.  The  encomenderos  were 
intended  to  form  a knightly  class  whose  duty  it  was  “to 
defend,  enrich  and  ennoble  the  kingdom  and  to  care  for 
the  Indians.”1 

Most  of  the  denunciations  of  this  system  proceed  from 
lack  of  knowledge  of  the  time  when  it  was  introduced  and 
ignorance  of  the  methods  of  government  in  Europe  dur- 
ing the  same  period. 

It  is  unreasonable  to  demand  that  the  Conquistadores 
in  America  should  have  adopted  a different  system  from 
that  with  which  they  were  familiar  in  Europe  and  which 
they  had  every  reason  to  consider  the  best.  They  were 
soldiers  and  not  philosophers.  And  soldiers  are  accus- 
tomed to  transplant  the  institutions  of  their  own  country 
without  instituting  reforms. 

In  the  Old  World,  at  the  time  of  the  conquest,  feudal- 
ism still  held  sway,  although  in  a more  mitigated  form 
in  Spain  than  in  other  countries.  The  seignor  exercised 
jurisdiction  over  the  inhabitants  within  his  dominions,  but 
with  the  obligation  to  defend  the  country  against  its  en- 
emies, to  supply  a certain  number  of  troops  at  his  own 
expense  and  to  provide  for  all  the  costs  of  public  adminis- 
tration of  his  own  seignoralty.  The  vassal  retained  the 

1The  grants  of  encomiendas  made  by  Valdivia  to  his  followers  terminated 
with  these  words: 

“Con  tanto  que  seais  obligado  a sustentar  armas  y caballos  4 aderezar  los 
caminos  reales  y puentes  que  liubiere  en  los  terminos  de  los  dichos  nuestros 
caciques  6 cercanos  coino  os  conviniese  4 os  cupiere  en  suerte,  4 que  dejeis  a los 
caciques  principales  sus  mujeres  4 hijos  4 los  otros  indios  de  su  servicio,  4 los 
adoctrineis  4 los  enseneis  en  los  cosas  de  nuestra  Santa  Fe  Catolica,  4 habiendo 
religiosos  en  la  ciudad  traigais  ante  ellos  los  hijos  del  cacique  para  que  sean 
asi  mismo  instruidos  en  las  cosas  de  nuestra  religion  cristiana,  4 si  asi  no  lo 
hici4redes,  cargue  sobre  vuestra  conciencia  y no  sobre  la  de  S.  M.  4 mia;  que 
en  su  real  nombre  vos  los  encomiendo. ’ ’ Quoted  in  Lezaeta’s  “Francisco  de 
Aguirre,”  p 67. 


308 


IN  FAMED  ARAUCANIA 


ownership  of  his  land,  but  with  the  obligation  of  tribute 
either  in  money  or  in  kind  to  his  overlord,  and  an  acknowl- 
edgment of  his  jurisdiction. 

This  was  the  form  of  government  which  the  Conquis- 
tadores  strove  to  introduce  into  America.  Valdivia  prided 
himself  on  his  paternal  treatment  of  the  conquered  race 
and  had  a care  not  to  deprive  the  Indians  of  the  lands 
which  they  actually  occupied.  For  the  encomienda  did  not 
give  the  encomendero  a right  to  such  lands.  They  were, 
however,  frequently  purchased  from  the  Indians  at  a good 
price.  When  awarding  encomiendas  to  his  soldiers,  Val- 
divia gave  them  only  terrenos  vacos,  that  is,  lands  without 
an  owner.  As  the  indigenous  population  was  small  in  com- 
parison to  the  great  extent  of  territory,  and  as  the  lands 
actually  cultivated  by  the  natives  were  of  very  restricted 
area,  there  was  a surplus  of  vacant  lands  for  the  Spaniards, 
without  appropriating  those  which  were  occupied  by  the 
aborigines. 

Considering,  then,  the  dominant  ideas  in  Spain,  as  well 
as  in  other  parts  of  Europe  during  the  sixteenth  century, 
respecting  feudalism,  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  the  Spaniards 
could  have  improved  on  the  form  of  government  which  they 
introduced  into  South  America.  To  the  credit  of  Valdivia 
and  his  successors,  it  must  be  said  that  they  were  always 
interested  in  the  perpetuation  of  the  indigenous  races,  and 
devised  suitable  measures  for  the  attainment  of  so  worthy 
an  object.  These  measures  were  approved  by  the  viceroy 
of  Peru  and  by  the  Kings  of  Spain,  who  left  nothing  undone 
to  protect  the  lives  and  property  of  the  Indians,  and  this 
at  a time,  be  it  remembered,  when  our  New  England  col- 
onists were  doing  everything  in  their  power  to  exterminate 
the  red  man  in  the  most  brutal  manner. 

The  Indians  of  the  encomiendas  were,  it  is  true,  obliged 
to  work.  Women,  however,  boys  under  eighteen  and  men 
over  fifty  were  excused  from  enforced  labor.  More  than 
this,  those  who  labored  received  some  salary,  and  they  were 

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THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


allowed,  moreover,  the  necessary  time  for  planting  and  cul- 
tivating their  own  fields.  Even  those  engaged  in  the  placer 
mines  had,  by  special  regulation,  the  right  to  retain  for 
their  own  use  all  the  gold  which  they  might  find  during 
one  day  of  each  week.1 

Nor  is  this  all.  Not  only  were  the  encomiendas  far 
from  being  the  diabolical  institutions  they  are  so  frequently 
pictured  to  have  been,  but  the  encomenderos  themselves 
were  not,  as  a class,  the  ignorant  and  heartless  men  that 
so  many  writers  represent  them  to  have  been.  I refer 
now  particularly  to  the  encomenderos  among  the  early 
Conquistadores  of  Chile.  Thanks  to  the  indefatigable  la- 
bors of  recent  investigators — especially  in  Chile — and  their 
bringing  to  light  precious  documents,  long  buried  and  for- 
gotten in  old  archives  in  Spain  and  in  her  former  dependen- 
cies in  America,  we  are  now  able  to  rectify  numerous  errors 
respecting  both  men  and  institutions  of  early  colonial  times. 
Many  of  these  errors,  it  is  now  discovered,  were  due  to  mis- 
leading, verbal  reports,  or  to  local  passions  and  jealousies 
against  which  certain  of  the  early  chroniclers  were  not 
sufficiently  guarded. 

As  a result  of  these  exhaustive  and  conscientious  re- 
searches, it  is  now  possible  to  rewrite,  with  more  approxi- 
mation to  truth,  the  lives  of  some  of  the  most  illustrious 
of  the  Conquistadores,  about  whom,  until  recently,  but  little 
was  known  outside  of  their  participation  in  some  of  the 
more  notable  events  of  the  conquest.  We  find  that  many 
of  the  Conquistadores,  whom  we  have  been  wont  to  re- 
gard as  simple  adventurers — as  ignorant  as  they  were 
vicious — were,  in  reality,  men  of  noble  qualities,  both  in- 
tellectual and  moral.  We  learn  that  they  were  skillful  cap- 
tains in  the  wars  of  Italy  and  Flanders,  in  which  they 
served  under  the  banners  of  the  most  renowned  generals 
of  their  century;  that,  far  from  being  the  offscourings  of 
society,  and  refugees  from  justice,  as  were  not  a few  of 

‘Cf.  “El  Conquistador,  Francisco  de  Aguirre,”  p.  68,  ut.  sup. 

310 


IN  FAMED  ARAUCANIA 


those  who  made  their  way  to  Cuba,  Espanola  and  the  Span- 
ish Main,  during-  the  time  of  Columbus,  the  companions  of 
Valdivia,  not  to  speak  of  Conquistadores  in  other  parts  of 
the  New  World,  were  scions  of  some  of  the  most  illustrious 
families  of  Spain,  men  who  had  disposed  of  their  inherited 
possessions  in  the  land  of  their  birth  in  order  to  seek  for- 
tune and  glory  beyond  the  seas.  In  view  of  this  recently 
acquired  knowledge,  a distinguished  Chilean  writer  does 
not  hesitate  to  declare  that  nearly  all  the  Conquistadores 
of  Chile  were  not  only  men  of  good  family,  but  also  men  of 
some  education — “los  Conquistadores  de  Chile  casi  todos 
al  par  que  hidalgos,  ( eran ) hombres  de  alguna  instruc- 
cion 1 

On  our  way  to  Talcahuano  we  crossed,  among  other 
rivers,  one  which  is  quite  famous  in  Chilean  history.  This 
was  the  Rio  Maule.  It  marked  the  extreme  southern  bound- 
ary of  the  great  Inca  empire.2  I was  particularly  glad  to  see 
this  river,  for  I then  felt  that,  after  many  and  long  pere- 
grinations, I had,  at  last,  reached  the  southernmost  border 
of  Inca  territory,  as  I had  years  before  attained  its  ex- 
treme limits  in  the  plateau  of  northern  Ecuador  and  in 
the  Montana  of  eastern  Peru.  I was  then  able  to  realize, 
as  never  before,  the  vast  extent  of  the  dominions  of  the 
Children  of  the  Sun,  and  their  wonderful  capacity  for  gov- 
erning countless  tribes,  as  different  in  language  and  cus- 

1Don  Joaquin  Santa  Cruz,  “Problemas  Historicos  de  la  Conquista  de 
Chile,”  in  Anales  de  la  Universidad,  Tom.  CX.,  p.  13,  Santiago  de  Chile. 

2 The  Conquest  of  Chile  by  the  Incas  is  a matter  of  legend  rather  than  of 
sober  history.  Nothing  certain  is  known  about  it.  It  is  generally  believed 
that  the  Inca,  Tupac  Yupanqui  invaded  Chile  and,  at  the  head  of  his  troops, 
reached  the  valley  of  Aconcagua.  This  invasion,  it  is  supposed,  took  place  about 
the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  century.  It  thus  preceded  the  arrival  of  the  Con- 
quistadores by  about  a hundred  years.  Iluayna  Capac,  Yupanqui ’s  son  and 
successor,  continued  the  work  of  his  father,  and,  it  is  believed,  extended  the 
Inca  Empire  as  far  south  as  the  Maule.  According  to  Clements  R.  Markham, 
‘ ‘ The  Inca  Yupanqui  was  the  greatest  man  the  American  race  has  ever  pro- 
duced. ” Huayna  Capac  was  almost  his  equal,  both  as  conqueror  and  as  an 
administrator. 


311 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


toms  as  they  were  widely  separated  from  one  another. 
From  the  Maule  to  northern  Ecuador  is  as  far  as  from 
Philadelphia  to  Salt  Lake.  How  the  rulers  in  Cuzco  were 
able  to  impose  their  will  on  the  heterogeneous  population 
which  tenanted  the  vast  area  over  which  the  Incas  bore 
rule  has  always  been  one  of  the  marvels  of  early  South 
American  annals.  And  when  we  remember  that  these  di- 
verse peoples,  although  separated  by  snow-clad  mountains 
and  trackless  deserts  and  devoid  of  all  those  means  of 
transportation  and  communication  which  we  now  deem  so 
essential  for  stable  government,  were,  nevertheless,  welded 
into  a single  body  politic,  the  wonder  grows,  and  we  are 
compelled  to  regard  these  semi-barbarians  with  admiration 
bordering  on  amazement.  No  other  government  in  the 
New  World,  during  pre-Columbian  times,  at  all  approached 
that  of  the  Incas  in  extent,  or  exhibited  rulers  who  were 
at  the  same  time  so  brave,  so  wise,  so  progressive  and  so 
humane. 

The  port  of  Talcahuano,  which  we  reached  after  a pleas- 
ant journey  from  Santiago,  is  the  finest  natural  harbor  on 
the  Chilean  coast.  It  is  well  protected  and  commodious  and 
the  site  of  the  progressive  naval  station  of  the  Republic. 
It  is  provided  with  an  adequate  arsenal  and  dockyard, 
near  which  is  a well  equipped  and  well  conducted  naval 
school.  Through  the  courtesy  of  the  naval  authorities  we 
were  able  to  visit  all  these  institutions.  We  were  deeply 
impressed  with  the  order  and  system  everywhere  manifest 
and  with  the  capacity  .and  efficiency  of  those  in  charge  of 
this  important  branch  of  the  nation’s  defense.  From  the 
time  of  Captain  George  O’Brien,  who  commanded  the 
Lautaro — the  first  of  Chile’s  warships — and  who  was  the 
father  and  the  first  hero  of  the  Chilean  navy,  as  was  his 
distinguished  countryman,  Commodore  John  Barry,  the 
father  and  first  hero  of  the  American  navy,  the  people  of 
Chile  have  always  been  proud  of  their  marine  military 
force  and  love  to  proclaim  its  achievements.  For  its  popu- 

312 


IN  FAMED  ARAUCANIA 


lation  Chile  has  now  the  largest  and  best-manned  navy 
in  the  world.  But  Chile  is  not  satisfied  with  her  present 
naval  power.  She  purposes  to  augment  it  by  the  addition 
of  a number  of  submarines,  destroyers  and  dreadnaughts. 
When  these  are  completed,  Chile ’s  navy  will  be  the  strong- 
est and  best-manned  in  South  America. 

The  Chilean  naval  officers  whom  we  met  at  Talcahuano 
and  elsewhere  are  a splendid  body  of  men  and,  like  those 
of  the  army,  are  intensely  patriotic.  The  navy  of  Chile 
is  modeled  after  that  of  England,  while  the  army  is  thor- 
oughly German,  even  in  uniform  and  equipment.  The  rea- 
son of  this  is  that  Chile  had  German  officers  for  its  military 
instructors.  And  so  thorough  was  the  work  of  the  Kaiser’s 
war  experts,  that  the  Chilean  army  is  now  considered 
by  military  men  to  be  by  far  the  best  in  South  America. 
Not  only  this,  but  in  such  high  esteem  have  Chilean  of- 
ficers been  held,  since  the  German  system  was  introduced 
into  their  country,  that  they  have  been  called  on  to  assist 
in  the  reorganization  of  the  armies  of  several  of  the  South 
and  Central  American  republics.  Among  these  are  Bolivia, 
Paraguay,  Ecuador  and  Colombia. 

“Why,”  I inquired  of  a prominent  Colombian  in  Bo- 
gota, “do  you  engage  Chilean  officers  as  instructors  for 
your  army?”  “Because,”  was  the  immediate  reply,  “they 
are  the  best  military  teachers  in  South  America.  They 
have  been  so  well  trained  by  the  Kaiser’s  men  that  they 
are  now  the  equals  of  their  teachers.  Is  not  that  a good 
reason  for  securing  their  services?” 

In  most  countries  men  are  soldiers  as  the  result  of  long 
and  special  training.  The  Chilean,  on  the  contrary,  is  a 
soldier  born,  as  the  Gaucho  is  a born  horseman,  or  as  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Pacific  Islands  are  born  swimmers  and 
boatmen.  His  warlike  character  is  an  atavistic  instinct 
which,  apparently,  is  as  strong  as  it  was  in  the  time  of  the 
Conquistadores.  This,  however,  is  only  what  might  be 
expected  of  a people  in  whose  veins  flows  the  blood  both 

313 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


of  the  warlike  Araucanian  and  of  the  bellicose  conqueror 
of  the  Moors. 

And  yet  these  natural  warriors  of  Chile  are  capable  of 
a self-restraint  that  would  scarcely  be  expected  of  them. 
This  was  well  shown  at  the  time  of  the  strained  relations 
between  Chile  and  Argentina  over  the  boundary  question. 
A plan  of  campaign  had  been  elaborated  by  the  German 
General  Kcerner,  the  brilliant  reorganizer  of  the  Chilean 
army,  and  the  troops  were  mobilized  and  ready  to  cross  the 
southern  passes  of  the  Cordillera  preparatory  to  a dash 
against  Bahia  Blanca  on  the  east  coast  of  Argentina.  At 
the  critical  moment,  when  the  victorious  veterans  of  the 
campaign  of  the  Pacific  were  clamoring  for  action,  the  ad- 
vocates of  peace,  headed  by  the  leading  prelates  of  the  war- 
menaced  countries,  intervened  with  results  that  were  little 
short  of  miraculous.  Instead  of  devastated  countries, 
ruined  cities,  countless  widows  and  orphans — all  of  which 
seemed  inevitable — there  arose  on  the  summit  of  the  Andes 
a symbol  of  love  and  harmony,  a statue  of  the  Prince  of 
Peace  and  a solemn  engagement  on  the  part  of  the  two 
sister  Republics  that  war  between  them  was  to  be  taboo 
forevermore. 

The  deep  religious  sentiment  which  was  so  instrumental 
in  averting  an  imminent  war  between  two  neighboring  re- 
publics is  a distinguishing  characteristic  of  the  soldiers 
of  Chile,  as  well  as  those  of  Argentina  during  the  war  of 
independence.  We  have  seen  how  the  gallant  and  chivalrous 
men  under  Belgrano  and  San  Martin  chose  Our  Lady  of 
Mercy  as  the  generalissimo  of  the  army  of  emancipation. 
In  a similar  manner  the  Chilean  army,  during  the  war 
with  the  mother  country,  consecrated  their  arms  to  Our 
Lady  of  Carmel  and,  at  the  same  time,  proclaimed  her  the 
general-in-cliief  of  the  Chilean  forces.  It  is  a matter  of 
record  that  before  the  decisive  battle  of  Maipo  they  made 
a vow  to  their  patroness,  in  the  event  of  victory,  to  erect 
a temple  in  her  honor  on  the  field  of  combat. 

314 


IN  FAMED  ARAUCANIA 


During  the  war  with  Peru  and  Bolivia — 1879-1883 — an 
image  of  La  Virgen  del  Carmen  held  the  place  of  honor  on 
the  admiral’s  flagship.  And  the  veterans  of  this  war  still 
relate  how,  before  engagements  on  land,  the  battle  cry  of 
Viva  Chile  was  always  followed  by  a fervent  Viva  la  Virgen 
del  Carmen,  Patrona  del  Ejercito.  It  is  not,  therefore,  as- 
tonishing to  find  the  troops  of  Chile  forming  an  escort  of 
honor  around  the  statue  of  Our  Lady  of  Carmel,  as  it  is 
carried  each  year  in  solemn  procession  through  the  princi- 
pal streets  of  Santiago.  Nor  is  it  surprising  to  the  pilgrim 
to  the  Holy  Land,  when  approaching  the  town  of  Haifa, 
to  behold,  on  the  summit  of  Mt.  Carmel,  a monument  erected 
by  the  people  of  Chile  to  their  patroness  as  an  enduring 
testimony  of  their  gratitude.  What  Santiago  is  to  Spain, 
what  Nuestra  Senora  de  la  Merced  is  to  Argentina,  what 
Jeanne  d’Arc  is  to  France,  that  is  La  Virgen  del  Carmen 
to  Chile,  the  nation’s  patron,  the  inspirer  of  deeds  of  chiv- 
alry and  patriotism,  a protector  and  helper  in  the  hour  of 
battle. 

As  in  Spain  and  Germany,  the  spiritual  wants  of  the 
army  and  navy  of  Chile  are  looked  after  by  a special 
ecclesiastical  organization  known  as  a military  vicariate. 
It  was  established  quite  recently,  and  Chile  is  the  only 
country  in  America  which  enjoys  this  privilege.  It  is 
independent  of  the  episcopate  and  has  charge  of  the  reli- 
gious services  not  only  of  the  soldiers,  but  also  of  the  func- 
tionaries and  employees  of  the  Chilean  government.  I had 
the  pleasure  of  meeting  several  of  these  chaplains  of  the 
Vicariato  Castrense  and  I found  them  all  men  of  excep- 
tional zeal  and  intelligence,  priests  who  enjoyed  the  con- 
fidence and  respect  of  both  officers  and  men,  and  whose 
influence  and  ministration  have  contributed  much  towards 
making  the  Chilean  army  one  of  the  best  disciplined  and 
most  efficient  in  the  world. 

The  braveiy  and  patriotism  of  the  Chileans  are  pro- 
verbial. As  they  are  all  soldiers  by  hereditary  vocation, 

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THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


so  are  they  all,  from  the  humblest  roto  to  the  most  illus- 
trious senor  of  the  nation’s  aristocracy,  animated  by  a 
patriotic  ardor  which  neither  party  spirit,  nor  local  jeal- 
ousies, nor  individual  interest  can  affect  in  the  slightest 
degree.  For  this  reason  their  spirit  of  nationality  is 
marvelous,  superb. 

During  the  riots  in  Santiago  in  1890,  one  of  the  insur- 
gent rotos  was  shot  twice  by  the  police  and  severely 
wounded.  By  a strange  good  fortune  he  managed  to  escape 
to  Valparaiso,  where  he  sought  refuge  on  a North  Amer- 
ican cargo-boat.  While  still  infuriated  at  his  treatment 
by  the  police,  he  told  his  story  to  one  of  the  crew,  who 
expressed  his  sympathy  with  the  poor  fellow  and  referred 
to  Chile,  in  which  he  had  been  so  harshly  dealt  with,  as 
“a  dirty  country”  and  “a  rascally  government.”  The 
sympathizing  sailor  had  scarcely  uttered  these  words  when 
the  roto  had  him  by  the  throat,  threatening  to  choke  him 
for  daring  to  calumniate  dear,  noble  Chile.  The  spectators 
tried  to  calm  him,  but  to  no  purpose.  He  demanded  that 
he  be  allowed  to  land  immediately,  when  he  was  at  once 
arrested  and  barely  escaped  being  executed.  He  was  a 
typical  Chilean,  whose  motto,  like  that  of  his  country’s 
navy,  was  La  Latvia  ante  de  todo  y todo  por  la  Patria — 
Our  country  before  everything  and  everything  for  our 
country.  Is  it  strange  that  such  people  should  love  “the 
panoply  and  glory  of  war,  the  stirring  march  and  the  mid- 
night bivouac,”  and  that  they  constitute  a nation  of 
patriots  of  unflinching  bravery  and  indomitable  courage? 

At  a spot  near  Talcahuano,  named  Penco,  Valdivia 
founded  the  city  of  Concepcion  del  Nuevo  Extremo,  which 
occupies  almost  as  large  a page  in  early  colonial  history 
as  Santiago.  No  place,  probably,  in  the  whole  of  Chile 
has  suffered  so  many  disasters  and  witnessed  so  many 
vicissitudes.  Frequently  attacked  by  the  Araucanians  and 
devastated  by  earthquakes  and  tidal  waves,  it  was  in  the 
terrible  seismic  convulsion  of  1751  completely  wiped  out 

316 


IN  FAMED  ARAUCANIA 


of  existence.  After  this  awful  catastrophe  the  new  city 
of  Nuestra  Senora  cle  la  Concepcion  was  built  on  the  pres- 
ent site,  which  is  about  ten  miles  from  Talcaliuano.  It 
is  now  a flourishing  place  and  is  spoken  of  as  “the  capital 
of  Southern  01106.”  Like  Santiago,  Imperial,  Villa  Rica 
and  Valdivia,  it  was  founded  by  the  Conqueror  of  Chile. 
Indeed,  as  a founder  of  cities,  Valdivia  almost  rivaled  his 
chief,  Francisco  Pizarro,  who  laid  the  foundations  of  the 
principal  cities  of  Peru. 

At  Concepcion  we  crossed  the  most  famous  river  in 
Chilean  history.  This  is  the  Biobio,  which  was  for  more 
than  three  centuries  after  the  conquest  the  northern  fron- 
tier of  Araucania.  The  Incas  extended  their  conquests  as 
far  south  as  the  Maule,  but  there  is  no  satisfactory  evi- 
dence that  they  colonized  the  country  so  far  southward 
as  this  river.  Similarly  Valdivia  and  his  gallant  lieuten- 
ants carried  the  banner  of  Spain  full  three  hundred  miles 
south  of  the  Biobio,  and  even  founded  cities  in  various 
parts  of  the  land  which  they  fondly  imagined  they  had 
securely  placed  under  the  dominion  of  the  Spanish  Crown. 
But  they  were  mistaken.  Their  success  was  only  ephem- 
eral. For  the  Araucanians,  under  the  leadership  of  their 
famous  chiefs,  Caupolican  and  Lautaro,  rose  in  their  might 
and  so  completely  razed  seven  of  Valdivia’s  cities  that  for 
three  centuries  they  were  little  more  than  a memory.  Of 
the  seven  cities  founded  by  the  illustrious  Conquistador,  La 
Imperial  was  the  only  one  which  saw  the  beginning  of  the 
seventeenth  century  without  having  been  destroyed  by  the 
dread  Mapuches.1 

The  Araucanians  have  well  deserved  the  name  of  the 
rebellious  or  unconquered  race.  For  the  Spaniards  had 
scarcely  entered  upon  their  career  of  conquest  in  the  fertile 

1 The  name  the  indigenes  of  Chile  gave  themselves.  It  means  simply  the 
people  or  the  natives  of  the  country.  The  epithet  Araucanian,  so  long  applied 
to  the  indomitable  race  of  southern  Chile,  is  derived  from  the  Quichua  word 
aucca — rebel.  The  Peruvians  designated  as  Araucanians,  Indians  with  whom 
they  were  at  war,  or  Indians  who  had  not  been  conquered. 

317 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


valley  south  of  Santiago  when  they  found  themselves  con- 
fronted by  the  most  hostile  and  warlike  people  they  had 
ever  met  in  the  New  World.  The  Aztecs,  Muiscas  and  Incas 
were  almost  pacific  and  timid  in  comparison  with  them. 
The  brave  and  hardy  inhabitants  of  Chile  proudly  pro- 
claimed themselves  as  Duenos  de  la  tierra  y de  las  aguas — 
the  owners  of  the  land  and  the  sea.  They  rose  against  the 
invader  as  one  man,  and  even  in  the  time  of  the  Conquista- 
dores  they  were  known  as  gente  indomable — an  invincible 
race.  They  were,  without  doubt,  better  natural  fighters 
than  any  native  race  in  history.  They  were  well  described 
by  the  Spaniards  as  a people  “with  bodies  of  iron  and  souls 
of  tigers.”  They  might  he  defeated,  but  they  never  would 
surrender.  With  them,  as  with  the  Chilean  soldier  of  to- 
day, their  device  was  Veneer  6 morir — Conquer  or  die. 

“Had  I a thousand  lives,”  exclaimed  an  Araucanian 
toqui — chief — who  died  fighting  a vastly  superior  force,  “I 
would  gladly  give  them  all  for  my  country  and  liberty.” 
This  was  characteristic  of  the  entire  people.  No  race  of 
men  were  ever  greater  lovers  of  liberty  or  made  greater 
sacrifices  for  the  land  of  their  birth.  Not  content  with 
fighting  the  Spaniards  during  their  lifetime,  they  wished 
to  continue  the  contest  with  them  after  their  death.  Be- 
fore the  great  Araucanian  chieftain,  Millalelmo,  died  in 
1570,  he  expressed  a wish  for  the  election  of  his  successor 
who  would  continue  the  war  against  the  invaders.  He 
then  ordered  his  body  to  be  burned,  that  he  might  rise  to 
the  clouds  and  keep  up,  in  another  world,  the  war  against 
the  dead  Spaniards  whom  he  expected  to  find  there. 

And  these  expressed  wishes  of  the  dying  chief  were  in 
strict  conformity  with  the  belief  of  his  countrymen  re- 
specting the  conditions  of  existence  beyond  the  tomb.  For, 
according  to  their  view,  as  Padre  Molina  informs  us,  “The 
soul,  notwithstanding  its  new  condition  of  life,  never  loses 
its  original  attachments  and  when  the  spirits  of  their  coun- 
trymen return,  as  they  frequently  do,  they  fight  furiously 

318 


IN  FAMED  ARAUCANIA 


with  those  of  their  enemies,  whenever  they  meet  with  them 
in  the  air,  and  these  combats  are  the  origin  of  tempests, 
thunder  and  lightning.  Not  a storm  rages  on  the  Andes,  or 
on  the  ocean,  but  they  ascribe  it  to  a battle  between  the 
souls  of  their  fellow-countrymen  and  those  of  the  Span- 
iards. They  say  that  the  roaring  of  the  wind  is  the 
trampling  of  their  horses,  the  noise  of  the  thunder  that 
of  their  drums,  and  the  flashes  of  lightning  the  fire  of 
the  artillery.  If  the  storm  takes  its  course  towards  the 
Spanish  territory,  they  affirm  that  the  spirits  have  put 
to  flight  those  of  the  Spaniards  and  exclaim  triumphantly, 
‘Pursue  them,  friends!  Pursue  them!  Kill  them!’  If  the 
contrary  happens,  they  are  greatly  afflicted  and  call  out 
in  consternation,  ‘Courage,  friends!  Be  firm!’  ”x 

This  is  not  the  place  to  tell  of  the  interminable  strug- 
gle of  the  Araucanians  with  the  Spaniards  and  of  the  bril- 
liant achievements  of  these  children  of  the  forest  when 
battling  against  the  best-trained  veterans  of  Europe;  but 
a reference  must  be  made,  in  passing,  to  the  two  chief 
heroes  of  the  race,  who  have  been  immortalized  in  the 
pages  of  Ercilla’s  great  epic,  “La  Araucana.”  These  were 
Caupolican  and  Lautaro.  For  Ercilla  there  was,  in  reality, 
but  one  chief — one  supreme  leader  of  the  brave  Mapuches — 
and  that  was  Caupolican.  Lautaro  is  the  lieutenant  who 
always  acts  under  the  orders  of  his  great  commander-in- 
chief. Even  when  Lautaro  is  on  the  point  of  bringing  to  a 
successful  issue  his  daring  campaign  against  the  proud 
city  of  Santiago,  the  reader  always  discerns  in  the  distance 
the  imposing  figure  of  Caupolican  directing  the  move- 
ments of  the  hazardous  expedition.  The  reason  of  this  is 
that  Ercilla  never  knew  or  saw  Lautaro.  The  battles  in 
which  the  poet  himself  fought,  and  which  he  has  so  graph- 
ically depicted,  were  against  troops  which  were  led  by 
Caupolican.  Hence  all  the  resistance  of  the  Araucanians 

‘“The  Geographical,  Natural  and  Civil  History  of  Chile,”  Vol.  II,  p.  82, 
Middletown,  Connecticut,  1808. 


319 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


is  pictured  as  being  incarnate  in  this  valiant  chieftain. 
The  poet  adulterates  nothing.  He  tells  what  he  saw  wuth 
his  own  eyes,  and  in  so  doing  he  tells  the  truth.1 

According  to  Ercilla,  and  his  poem  is  the  basis  of  nearly 
all  we  know  of  the  two  great  heroes,  Lautaro  began  his 
meteoric  career  as  a warrior  when  he  was  only  a mere 
youth.  He  had  been  a palafrenero — horse-boy — of  Val- 
divia, but,  escaping  from  his  master,  he  joined  his  coun- 
trymen who  were  fighting  the  Spaniards.  He  was  a born 
military  genius  and  was  only  eighteen  years  of  age — the 
age  of  Alexander  the  Great,  when  he  took  part  in  the  battle 
of  Chaeronea — when  he  began  to  display  tactical  skill  and 
fertility  of  resource  worthy  of  an  old  and  experienced  com- 
mander. Although  pitted  against  the  best  soldiers  of 
Europe,  veterans  in  the  wars  of  Italy  and  Flanders,  he 
was  so  successful  in  his  brilliant  campaign  against  the 
Spaniards  that  he  threatened  to  drive  them  out  of  Chile. 
Although  a mere  stripling  and  entirely  untutored  in  the 
science  of  war,  he  successfully  employed  the  crescent  line 
of  battle  formation  wdiich  gave  the  English  so  much  trouble 
in  their  conflict  with  the  Kafirs.  And,  like  Bruce  at  Ban- 
nockburn, he  resorted  to  the  ruse  of  having  a large  num- 
ber of  women  and  boys  with  poles  near  the  battlefield,  as 

1 “ In  reality,  ’ ’ declares  Ticknor,  ‘ ‘ the  ‘ Araucana  ’ is  a history  in  verse.  The 
first  division  of  the  ‘Araucana’  is,  in  fact,  a versified  history  of  the  early  part 
of  the  war.  It  is  geographically  and  statistically  accurate.  It  is  a poem,  thus 
far,  that  should  be  read  with  a map,  and  one  whose  connecting  principle  is 
merely  the  succession  of  events.  Of  this  rigid  accuracy  he  [Ercilla]  more  than 
once  boasts;  and,  to  observe  it,  he  begins  with  a description  of  Arauco  and  its 
people,  amidst  whom  he  lays  his  scene,  and  then  goes  on  through  fifteen  cantos 
of  consecutive  battles,  negotiations,  conspiracies,  and  adventures,  just  as  they 
occurred.  He  composed  this  part  of  his  poem,  he  tells  us,  in  the  wilderness, 
where  he  fought  and  suffered;  taking  the  night  to  describe  what  the  day  had 
brought  to  pass,  and  writing  his  verses  on  fragments  of  paper,  or,  when  these 
failed,  on  scraps  of  skins;  so  that  it  is,  in  truth,  a poetical  journal,  in  octave 
rhymes,  of  the  expedition  in  which  he  was  engaged.  These  fifteen  cantos, 
written  between  1555  and  1563,  constitute  the  first  part,  which  ends  abruptly 
in  the  midst  of  a violent  tempest,  and  which  was  printed  by  itself  in  1569.  ’ ’ 
“History  of  Spanish  Literature,’’  Vol.  II,  p.  549.  Boston,  1872. 

320 


IN  FAMED  ARAUCANIA 


if  they  were  an  army  in  reserve.  It  was  this  youth- 
ful warrior  who  was  the  conqueror  of  Valdivia1  who 
was  reputed  to  be  the  ablest  warrior  of  his  time  in 
America — el  mejor  hombre  de  guerra  que  hubiese  en 
America. 

North  America  can  point  to  many  notable  Indian  chief- 
tains, but  to  no  one  who  was  so  distinguished  for  a long 
series  of  brilliant  victories  as  was  the  youthful  hero  of 
Araucania,  Lautaro.  Until,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he 
fell  at  Mataquito,  while  fighting  for  his  country,  he  never 
lost  a battle.  With  truth  has  it  been  said  that  he  was 
“the  most  valiant,  steadfast  and  determined  of  all  the 
defenders  of  American  soil,  from  California  to  Cliiloe.” 
A town  and  a department  have  been  named  after  him  by 
the  Chilean  government,  and  the  story  of  the  young  hero 
and  his  ladylove,  Guacolda,  as  sung  by  Ercilla,  is  one  of 
the  epic  glories  not  only  of  Araucania,  but  also  of  the 
whole  of  Chile.  Poetic  justice  seems  to  require  that  he, 
too,  like  his  illustrious  compatriot,  Caupolican,  should  have 
a statue  on  Santa  Lucia  in  the  nation’s  capital.  The  sculp- 
tors of  Chile  will  not  easily  find  a nobler  or  a more  inspir- 

1 Many  stories  have  long  passed  current  respecting  the  manner  of  Val- 
divia ’s  death.  According  to  one  account,  the  illustrious  Conquistador  met 
death  at  the  hands  of  Lautaro.  According  to  another,  one  of  the  toquis  dis- 
patched him  with  a war  club.  Many  have  credited  the  tale  invented  by  Marino 
de  Lobera,  that  the  Indians  caused  the  death  of  their  victim  by  pouring  molten 
gold  into  his  mouth,  at  the  same  time  mockingly  telling  him,  ‘ ‘ Have  now  your 
fill  of  that  gold  which  you  have  eagerly  sought.”  Others  still,  elaborating  the 
invention  of  Gongora  Marmolejo,  tell  us  that,  after  Valdivia  wTas  brained  by 
a club  in  the  presence  of  a large  concourse  of  Araueanian  braves,  “his  heart 
was  cut  out,  the  points  of  their  arrows  were  colored  with  the  blood,  and  then, 
being  divided  into  fragments,  it  was  eaten  by  the  assembled  caciques  so  that 
they  might  all  have  one  heart  in  the  struggle  against  the  Spaniards.  ’ ’ The 
last  two  versions  of  the  conqueror’s  death  can  be  dismissed  as  fables.  Sr. 
Crescente  Errazu-riz  in  his  masterly  work,  “Pedro  de  Valdivia,”  Tom.  II,  p. 
591,  Santiago  de  Chile,  1911,  arrives  at  the  conclusion  that  “Valdivia  met 
death  in  battle,  or  at  the  termination  of  it,  like  any  other  combatant,  unaccom- 
panied by  any  special  circumstance — fue  muerto  6 en  medio  del  combate  6 a la 
terminacion  de  el,  como  otro  cualquiera,  sin  circumstancia  especial,  breve • 
mente.” 


321 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


mg  subject  for  their  chisel,  or  one  that  should  have  a 
stronger  appeal  to  their  countrymen. 

As  to  the  place  occupied  by  Caupolican  in  Chile’s  Val- 
halla, the  opinion  of  the  learned  commentator  of  “La 
Araucana,”  A.  Koenig,  may  be  accepted  as  authoritative: 
“Historical  criticism  essays  in  vain  to  diminish,  even 
slightly,  the  importance  of  Caupolican.  Its  arguments, 
however  specious,  always  collapse  before  the  power  of  pub- 
lic opinion.  The  figure  modeled  in  ‘La  Araucana’  has  be- 
come a part  of  the  patriotic  beliefs  which  are  the  patrimony 
of  all  Chileans.  If  Lautaro  represents  the  graces  of  youth 
and  the  impetuosity  of  juvenile  years,  Caupolican  is  the 
type  of  the  grave  and  prudent  general  who  is  skillful  and 
energetic  in  the  conduct  of  war  and  affairs.  The  Republic 
has  baptized  with  his  name  one  of  its  richest  departments. 
Historic  or  legendary,  created  by  Ercilla  or  by  tradition, 
Caupolican  is  a man  who  lives  in  our  hearts  and  in  our 
affections  as  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Fatherland.”  1 
A word,  too,  must  be  said  about  the  Araucanian  women, 
especially  those  who  figure  so  prominently  in  the  pages 
of  Ercilla ’s  great  epic.  Their  prowess  was  no  less  remark- 
able than  that  of  the  men,  and  they  sought  death  rather 
than  submit  to  defeat  or  servitude. 

The  striking  episode  in  “La  Araucana,”  which  depicts 
the  last  interview  between  Caupolican  and  his  wife,  Fresia, 
reveals  in  the  most  vivid  manner  the  character  of  the 
Araucanian  woman,  as  she  has  ever  exhibited  herself  in 
the  face  of  the  enemy.  The  heroic  leader  had  been  be- 
trayed into  the  hands  of  the  Spaniards,  and  when  Fresia 
meets  him,  a fettered  prisoner  of  the  hated  invader,  she 
assails  him  with  fierce  invective  and  withering  scorn  un- 
rivaled in  literature. 

1 ‘ ‘ Historico  o lejendaro,  creado  por  Ercilla  o por  la  tradicion,  ello  es  que 
Caupolican  es  \in  hombre  que  vivo  en  nuestros  corazones  i en  nuestro  carifio 
como  una  de  los  fundadores  de  la  patria.  ” “ La  Araucana  de  don  Alonso  de 
Ercilla  i Zufiiga.  ” Edicion  para  uso  de  los  Chilenos  con  noticias  Historicas, 
Biograficas  i Etiinolojicas,  p.  181,  Santiago  de  Chile,  1888. 

322 


IN  FAMED  ARAUCANIA 


When  the  unhappy  wife  beheld  her  lord, 

His  strong  arms  bound  with  a disgraceful  cord, 
Stript  of  each  ensign  of  his  past  command, 

And  led  the  pris’ner  of  our  shouting  band; 

Her  anguish  burst  not  into  vain  complaint, 

No  female  terrors  her  firm  soul  attaint ; 

But,  breathing  fierce  disdain,  and  anger  wild, 
Thus  she  exclaim’d,  advancing  with  her  child: 
“The  stronger  arm  that  in  this  shameful  band 
Has  tied  thy  weak  effeminated  hand, 

Had  nobler  pity  to  thy  state  exprest 

If  it  had  bravely  pierc’d  that  coward  breast. 

Wert  thou  the  warrior  whose  heroic  worth 
So  swiftly  flew  around  the  spacious  earth, 

Whose  name  alone,  unaided  by  thy  arm, 

Shook  the  remotest  clime  with  fear’s  alarm? 

Wert  thou  the  victor  whose  triumphant  strain 
Promis’d  with  rapid  sword  to  vanquish  Spain; 

To  make  new  realms  Arauco’s  power  revere, 

And  spread  her  empire  o’er  the  arctic  sphere? 
Wretch  that  I am!  how  was  my  heart  deceiv’d, 

In  all  the  noble  pride  with  which  it  heav’d, 

When  through  the  world  my  boasted  title  ran, 
Fresia,  the  wife  of  great  Caupolican! 

Now,  plung’d  in  misery  from  the  heights  of  fame, 
My  glories  end  in  this  detested  shame, 

To  see  thee  captive  in  a lonely  spot, 

When  death  and  honor  might  have  been  thy  lot? 

What  now  avail  thy  scenes  of  happier  strife, 
So  dearly  bought  by  many  a nobler  life; 

The  wond’rous  feats,  that  valor  scarce  believ’d, 

By  thee  with  hazard  and  with  toil  achiev’d? 
Where  are  the  vaunted  fruits  of  thy  command, 
The  laurels  gather’d  by  this  fetter’d  hand? 

All  sunk!  all  turn’d  to  this  abliorr’d  disgrace, 

To  live  the  slave  of  this  ignoble  race ! 

Say,  had  thy  soul  no  strength,  thy  hand  no  lance, 
To  triumph  o’er  the  fickle  power  of  chance? 

Dost  thou  not  know,  that,  to  the  warrior’s  name, 

323 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


A gallant  exit  gives  immortal  fame? 

Behold  the  burden  which  my  breast  contains, 

Since  of  thy  love  no  other  pledge  remains ! 

Ilad’st  thou  in  glory’s  arms  resign’d  thy  breath, 

We  both  had  follow’d  thee  in  joyous  death: 

Take,  take  thy  son!  he  was  a tie  most  dear, 

Which  spotless  love  once  made  my  heart  revere ; 

Take  him ! — by  generous  pain  and  wounded  pride, 

The  currents  of  this  fruitful  breast  are  dried: 

Rear  him  thyself,  for  thy  gigantic  frame, 

To  woman  turn’d,  a woman’s  charge  may  claim: 

A mother’s  title  I no  more  desire, 

Or  shameful  children  from  a shameful  sire ! ’ ’ 

As  thus  she  spoke,  with  growing  madness  stung, 

The  tender  nursling  from  her  arms  she  flung 
With  savage  fury,  hast’ning  from  our  sight, 

While  anguish  seem’d  to  aid  her  rapid  flight. 

Vain  were  our  efforts;  nor  indignant  cries, 

Nor  gentle  prayers,  nor  angry  threats,  suffice 
To  make  her  breast,  where  cruel  frenzy  burn’d, 

Receive  the  little  innocent  she  spurn’d.1 

The  Chilean  navy,  with  a rare  sense  of  chivalry  and 
poetic  justice,  has  named  its  torpedo-boats  after  the 
heroines  who  have  been  immortalized  by  the  soldier-poet 
who  fought  against  their  brothers,  husbands  and  sweet- 
hearts. Among  these  names  are  the  dauntless  Fresia; 
Guacolda,  the  ladylove  of  Lautaro;  Tegualda,  the  loyal 
spouse  of  the  gallant  young  chieftain,  Crepino;  and 
Janequeo,  who,  to  avenge  her  husband’s  death,  put  her- 
self at  the  head  of  a company  of  soldiers,  captured  the 
fort  of  Candelaria,  and,  with  her  own  hand,  slew  the  cap- 
tain of  the  garrison. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  not  only  Ercilla,  but  also  the 
chroniclers  and  historians  who  have  written  of  the  con- 
quest of  Chile,  are  one  in  presenting  the  Araucanian  women 
as  models  of  valor  and  conjugal  devotion. 

1 Canto  XXXIII. 


324 


IN  FAMED  ARAUCANIA 


Such,  was  the  valor  and  steadfastness  of  the  Araucanians 
— the  women  as  well  as  the  men — that  Valdivia  was  con- 
strained, in  a letter  to  Charles  V,  to  declare:  “It  is  now 
thirty  years  that  I serve  your  majesty.  I have  fought 
against  many  nations,  but  I have  never  witnessed  such 
tenacity  as  these  Indians,  in  Chile,  exhibit  against  us.  . . . 
Each  inch  of  territory  I have  conquered  cost  me  a hundred 
drops  of  blood  and  two  hundred  drops  of  sweat.  ’ ’ 

And  so  great  were  the  losses  sustained  by  the  Spanish 
forces  in  Chile  that  Philip  II  complained  that  the  poorest 
of  his  American  colonies  cost  him  the  elite  of  his  captains — 
la  mas  pobre  de  sus  colonias  americanas  le  consumia  la  flor 
de  sus  guzmanes.1  “This  narrow  strip  of  Chile,”  writes 
Senor  Menendez  y Pelayo,  “cost  more  to  conquer  and  to 
hold  than  all  the  rest  of  the  American  continent.”  2 With 
fewer  soldiers  than  Spain  lost  in  Chile,  Alexander,  it  has 
been  estimated,  made  himself  master  of  the  Orient. 

When,  therefore,  Ercilla  wrote  of  the  Araucanians  as 
a race: 


Tan  soberbia,  gallarda  y bellicosa, 

Que  no  ha  sido  por  rey  jamas  regida 
Ni  a estrangero  dominio  sometida — 

a people  so  proud,  brave  and  warlike  that  they  have  never 
been  ruled  by  a king  nor  submitted  to  foreign  domination — 
he  described  them  not  only  as  the  Conquistadores  had  found 
them,  but  as  they  continued  to  be  for  more  than  three 
hundred  years  after  the  death  of  their  famous  heroes, 
Lautaro  and  Caupolican.  During  this  long  period  they 
were  able  to  preserve  their  independence  and  to  keep  the 
Spaniards  and  Chileans  of  European  descent  to  the  north 
of  the  Biobio.  And  during  all  this  time  there  was  in  Chile 

1 Cf.  Cordoba  y Figueroa,  ‘ ‘ Coleccion  de  Historiadores  de  Chile  y Docu- 
mentos  Kelatives  a la  Historia  Nacional,  ’ ’ Tom.  II,  p.  29,  Santiago,  1898- 
1907. 

1 Op.  cit.,  Tom.  IV,  p.  5. 


325 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


the  strange  spectacle  of  an  imperium  in  imperio.  Indeed, 
it  was  not  until  the  last  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century 
that  the  white  man  was  able  to  secure  a permanent  foot- 
hold in  Araucania,  and  then  only  through  the  acquiescence, 
not  the  subjugation,  of  its  indomitable  inhabitants. 

Since  1884  Araucania  has  been  open  to  colonists  from 
all  parts  of  Europe.  The  majority  of  these  are  Germans. 
So  numerous  are  they  in  the  two  southern  provinces  of 
Valdivia  and  Llanquihue  that  this  part  of  Chile  is  often 
regarded  as  a colony  of  the  German  Empire.  Here  they 
are  as  well  represented,  in  proportion  to  the  rest  of  the 
population,  as  are  their  countrymen  in  the  three  southern 
states  of  Brazil.  But,  although  they  speak  the  language 
and  retain  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  Fatherland, 
they  are  as  patriotic  Chileans  as  are  the  Germans  in  Brazil 
patriotic  Brazilians.  In  Chile,  as  in  Brazil,  the  German 
pioneers  had  to  pass  through  long  years  of  privation  and 
suffering.  But  now,  thanks  to  their  industry  and  thrift, 
most  of  them  have  comfortable,  albeit  modest,  homes,  and 
constitute  the  best  and  most  progressive  element  of  the 
population.  Many  of  them  have  become  wealthy  and  con- 
trol the  largest  and  most  important  industries  of  the  two 
provinces  just  named.  They  are  contented  with  the  coun- 
try of  their  adoption  and  no  more  desire  to  become  sub- 
jects of  the  Kaiser  than  do  our  German  fellow-citizens  of 
Chicago  or  Milwaukee. 

The  number  of  Araucanians  in  Chile  is  variously  esti- 
mated to  be  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  thousand.  They 
still  retain  much  of  the  land.  Part  of  this  is  under  culti- 
vation ; a part,  also,  is  devoted  to  pasturage.  Their  rucas  1 

1 The  ruca  is  usually  a primitive  wattled  structure  with  a thatched  roof 
extending  to  the  ground.  It  has  but  one  door  and  is  devoid  of  both  windows 
and  chimneys.  The  smoke  from  the  rude  fireplaces,  where  the  cooking  is  done, 
escapes  from  openings  in  the  roof.  Even  in  the  southern  part  of  Chile,  where 
the  rainfall  is  exceptionally  heavy,  the  only  floor  is  the  bare  earth.  There  is, 
indeed,  but  little  difference  between  the  Araucanian  rucas  and  the  bohios  of 
certain  Indian  tribes  inhabiting  the  basins  of  the  Amazon  and  the  Orinoco. 

326 


Araucanian  Village. 


Araucanian  Mother  and  Child. 


Araucanian  Woman  Carrying 
Child  in  Papoose  Frame. 


IN  FAMED  ARAUCANIA 


are,  for  the  most  part,  like  the  thatched  huts  of  their  an- 
cestors. They  adhere  tenaciously  to  many  of  their  old 
customs  and  polygamy  is  still  prevalent.  But  alcohol  is 
doing  among  these  brave  people  what  neither  the  legions 
of  Spain  nor  those  of  Chile  were  able  to  achieve.  Contact 
with  the  whites  is  beginning  to  exhibit  the  same  disastrous 
consequences  as  in  the  United  States  and  Canada.  Schools 
and  missions  have  been  established  among  them,  it  is  true, 
but  the  results  so  far  obtained  have  not  been  commensurate 
with  the  labor  and  sacrifices  which  have  been  made  in  their 
behalf.  The  Franciscans,  especially,  deserve  credit  for 
their  efforts  to  civilize  and  Christianize  these  people  of 
a heroic  past,  and,  though  they  have  great  difficulty  in  over- 
coming the  prejudices  and  animosities  engendered  by  cen- 
turies of  injustice  and  warfare,  they  are  not  without  hope 
of  eventually  seeing  their  labors  crowned  with  success. 
The  Araucanians  are  as  refractory  to  external  influences 
as  they  are  brave  in  battle,  and  this  characteristic,  coupled 
with  their  deep  attachment  to  their  manners  and  customs 
and  traditions,  will  make  a radical  change  in  their  mode 
of  life  and  superstitious  beliefs  a slow  and  arduous  proc- 
ess. But  theirs  is  a race  worth  preserving.  A people 
through  whose  veins  courses  the  blood  of  a Lautaro  and  a 
Caupolica ; who  have  been  so  instrumental  in  modifying  the 
character  of  the  Chilean  of  today  and  in  making  him  unsur- 
passed as  a soldier  and  a patriot,  is  a people  that  should 
be  preserved  and  perpetuated  at  any  cost.  If  modern  Cidle 
stands  unrivaled  in  South  America  for  the  spirit  and  gal- 
lantry of  her  sons,  she  is  probably  as  much  indebted  for 
these  characteristics  to  the  heroic  inhabitants  of  Araucania 
as  she  is  to  the  chivalrous  people  of  Spain. 

By  a special  arrangement  of  our  kind  and  thoughtful 
hosts,  a large  delegation  of  Araucanians,  several  thousand, 
it  was  said,  were  to  greet  us  on  our  arrival  at  one  of  the 
towns  in  the  southern  part  of  the  Republic.  But  our  train, 
unfortunately,  did  not  arrive  until  long  after  nightfall 

327 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


and  we  were  tlius  deprived  of  the  pleasure  Avliich  was  pre- 
pared for  us.  As  we  drew  near  the  town  we  saw  a large 
number  of  fires  on  a hillside,  some  distance  from  the  town 
in  question.  “That,”  said  one  of  our  hosts  sitting  next 
to  me,  “is  the  encampment  of  the  Indians.  I fear  we  shall 
not  see  them,  as  we  expected,  for  they  never  remain  in 
town  over  night.  They  always  return  to  their  homes  im- 
mediately after  sunset.”  My  informant  was  right.  When 
we  reached  the  town  we  learned  that  a large  number  of 
Araucanians  had  been  waiting  for  us  for  hours,  but  hearing 
that  our  train  was  behind  time,  and  would  not  arrive  until 
long  after  sunset,  they  all  returned  to  their  encampment, 
except  a small  committee  of  chiefs  who  watched  to  greet 
us  in  the  name  of  their  people. 

We  all  regretted  that  it  was  impossible  to  carry  out  the 
program  as  planned.  For,  although  we  saw  many  Arau- 
canians during  our  journeying  through  Chile,  we  had  never 
had  an  opportunity  to  see  so  great  a multitude  as  had 
assembled  at  the  place  in  question.  They  were,  we  were 
informed,  in  gala  attire  and  prepared  to  welcome  us  in 
their  own  tongue.  “You  will  hear  some  interesting 
speeches,”  a Chilean  in  our  party  told  me,  “for  many  of 
the  Araucanians  are  born  orators.  Besides  this,  nothing 
affords  them  more  pleasure  than  to  be  given  an  oppor- 
tunity of  displaying  their  powers  of  orator}".” 

I was  aware  of  their  ability  as  public  speakers,  and  my 
disappointment  in  not  meeting  the  Indians  was  enhanced 
by  the  thought  that  we  should  not  again  have  such  an 
opportunity  of  enjoying  a type  of  eloquence  which  has 
been  famous  since  the  time  of  the  Conquistadores.  To 
compensate  for  this  loss  I afterwards  took  up  my  copy  of 
“La  Araucana”  and  read  Colocolo’s  famous  speech  to  the 
chieftains  who  had  assembled  to  elect  a commander-in-chief 
in  the  war  which  they  were  then  waging  against  the  Span- 
ish invaders.  Nothing  gives  a truer  picture  of  the  Arau- 
canian  warrior  than  this  harangue  which  Voltaire  preferred 

328 


IN  FAMED  ARAUCANIA 


to  a similar  one  of  Nestor’s  in  the  second  book  of  the  Iliad. 
As  this  noble  discourse  is  not  so  well  known  in  English 
as  it  should  be,  I feel  I am  doing  the  reader  a favor  in 
reproducing  it  as  the  conclusion  of  this  chapter: 

Assembled  chiefs!  ye  guardians  of  the  land! 

Think  not  I mourn  from  thirst  of  lost  command, 

To  find  your  rival  spirits  thus  pursue 
A post  of  honor  which  I deem  my  due. 

These  marks  of  age,  you  see,  such  thoughts  disown 
In  me,  departing  for  the  world  unknown; 

But  my  warm  love,  which  ye  have  long  possest, 

Now  prompts  that  counsel  which  you’ll  find  the  best. 

Why  should  we  now  for  marks  of  glory  jar? 

Why  wish  to  spread  our  martial  name  afar? 

Crush’d  as  we  are  by  fortune’s  cruel  stroke, 

And  bent  beneath  an  ignominious  yoke, 

111  can  our  minds  such  noble  pride  maintain, 

While  the  fierce  Spaniard  holds  our  galling  chain. 

Your  generous  fury  here  ye  vainly  show; 

Ah!  rather  pour  it  on  th’  embattled  foe! 

What  frenzy  has  your  soiils  of  sense  bereav’d? 

Ye  rush  to  self-perdition,  unperceiv’d. 

’Gainst  your  own  vitals  would  ye  lift  those  hands, 

Whose  vigor  ought  to  burst  oppression’s  bands? 

If  a desire  of  death  this  rage  create, 

O die  not  yet  in  this  disgraceful  state ! 

Turn  your  keen  arms,  and  this  indignant  flame, 

Against  the  breast  of  those  who  sink  your  fame, 

Who  made  the  world  a witness  of  your  shame. 

Haste  ye  to  cast  these  hated  bonds  away, 

In  this  the  vigor  of  your  soul ’s  display ; 

Nor  blindly  lavish,  from  your  country’s  veins, 

Blood  that  may  yet  redeem  her  from  her  chains. 

E’en  while  I thus  lament,  I still  admire 
The  fervor  of  your  souls ; they  give  me  fire : 

But  justly  trembling  at  their  fatal  bent, 

329 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


I dread  some  dire  calamitous  event; 

Lest  in  your  rage  Dissension’s  frantic  hand 
Should  cut  the  sinews  of  our  native  land. 

If  such  its  doom,  my  thread  of  being  burst, 

And  let  your  old  compeer  expire  the  first! 

Shall  this  shrunk  frame,  thus  bow’d  by  age’s  weight, 
Live  the  weak  witness  of  a nation’s  fate? 

No:  let  some  friendly  sword,  with  kind  relief, 

Forbid  its  sinking  in  that  scene  of  grief. 

Happy  whose  eyes  in  timely  darkness  close, 

Sav’d  from  the  worst  of  sights,  his  country’s  woes! 

Yet,  while  I can,  I make  your  weal  my  care, 

And  for  the  public  good  my  thoughts  declare. 

Equal  ye  are  in  courage  and  in  worth ; 

Heaven  has  assign’d  to  all  an  equal  birth; 

In  wealth,  in  power,  and  majesty  of  soul, 

Each  chief  seems  worthy  of  the  world’s  control. 

These  gracious  gifts,  not  gratefully  beheld, 

To  this  dire  strife  your  daring  minds  impell’d. 

But  on  your  generous  valor  I depend, 

That  all  our  country’s  woes  will  swiftly  end. 

A leader  still  our  present  state  demands, 

To  guide  to  vengeance  our  impatient  hands; 

Fit  for  this  hardy  task  that  chief  I deem, 

Who  longest  may  sustain  a massive  beam : 

Your  rank  is  equal,  let  your  force  be  try’d 
And  for  the  strongest  let  his  strength  decide. 

— Canto  II. 


CHAPTER  XV 


MYTHS  AND  MARVELS  OF  MOUNTAIN,  LAKE 
AND  PLAIN 

In  its  physical  aspects  no  country  in  the  world  exhibits 
such  striking  contrasts  as  Chile.  In  the  north  it  is  an 
arid  desert,  where  not  even  a blade  of  grass  is  visible  and 
where  for  years  at  a time  rain  is  unknown.  In  the  south 
the  vegetation  is  of  tropical  exuberance  and  there  is  a 
saying  among  the  inhabitants  that  it  rains  thirteen  months 
in  the  year.  North  of  the  province  of  Tarapaca,  we  are 
assured,  the  last  rain  fell  in  1819 — nearly  a century  ago.1 
In  Valdivia  the  annual  precipitation  amounts  to  nearly  four- 
teen feet — more  than  a foot  for  each  month  in  the  year. 

The  contrast  between  the  inhabitants  of  the  northern 
and  the  southern  parts  of  the  Republic  is  equally  marked. 
In  the  north  the  population  is  composed  almost  exclusively 
of  those  who  labor  in  the  nitrate  fields.  Most  of  these 
are  hard-working  rotos,  who  have  been  allured  from  their 
southern  homes  by  the  high  wages  paid  by  the  English 
and  German  nitrate  kings.  In  the  south — especially  in 
the  two  provinces  of  Valdivia  and  Llanquiliue — the  domi- 
nating element  of  the  population  is  German.  There  are 
now  about  thirty  thousand  Germans  in  the  two  provinces 
named,  two-thirds  of  whom  have  been  born  in  Chile. 

When  the  first  German  immigrants  in  1850  arrived  at 
the  old  town  of  Valdivia,  the  surrounding  country  was 
a wilderness.  The  government  in  Santiago  knew  prac- 
tically nothing  about  it,  and  the  official  immigration  agent, 

1,1  A Short  Description  of  the  Kepublic  of  Chile  According  to  Official 
Data,”  p.  41,  Leipsic,  1903. 


331 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Don  Vicente  Perez  Rosales,  was  obliged  personally  to  ex- 
plore the  country  before  lie  could  supply  the  German  colo- 
nists with  the  information  they  desired  before  settling 
in  the  country.  Although  three  centuries  had  elapsed  since 
the  conqueror  of  Chile  had  laid  the  foundation  of  Val- 
divia, it  was,  at  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  the  Germans, 
little  more  than  a small  aggregation  of  low,  isolated,  moss- 
covered  hovels.  The  condition  of  their  occupants  was 
scarcely  better  than  that  of  their  Araucanian  neighbors. 
The  women  cultivated  small  plots  of  ground  with  plows  and 
other  implements  which  were  fashioned  out  of  wood  whose 
working  points  had  been  hardened  in  the  fire.  Aside  from 
a little  wheat,  the  chief  products  of  their  toil  were  beans 
and  potatoes.  Wild  apples  supplied  them  with  cliicha,  while 
the  sea  provided  them  with  an  abundance  of  seafood. 
Roads,  there  were  none.  The  inhabitants  lived  from  hand 
to  mouth,  and  such  a thing  as  the  development  of  trade  and 
industry  was  far  from  their  minds.1 

But  no  sooner  had  the  thrifty  and  industrious  sons  of 
the  Fatherland  arrived  on  the  scene  than  everything  was 
transformed,  as  if  by  magic.  Neat  and  comfortable  houses 
were  erected,  trees  were  felled,  land  was  prepared  for  culti- 
vation on  a large  scale,  all  kinds  of  industries  were  estab- 
lished, trade  was  developed,  and  Valdivia,  from  a miserable, 
neglected  village,  soon  became  one  of  the  most  prosperous 
commercial  centers  in  the  Republic. 

The  subjects  of  the  Kaiser  love  to  call  southern  Chile 
ein  zweites  Deutschland — a second  Germany.  It  is  cer- 
tainly more  deserving  of  this  appellation  than  is  the  south- 
ern part  of  Brazil,  which,  as  we  have  seen,  counts  so  many 
thousands  of  people  of  either  German  birth  or  German 
origin.  Indeed,  it  is  sometimes  difficult,  when  traveling 
through  the  provinces  of  Valdivia  and  Llanquihue,  to  con- 
vince oneself  that  one  is  not  actually  journeying  in  the 

1 Cf.  “Kecuerdos  del  Pasado,”  317  et  seq.,  by  V.  P.  Kosales,  San- 
tiago de  Chile,  1886. 


332 


MYTHS  AND  MARVELS 


dominions  of  the  Kaiser.  Tlie  language  is  German.  Often 
it  is  the  only  language  which  the  people  one  meets  are 
able  to  speak.  The  manners  and  customs  of  the  inhabitants 
are  German.  The  homes  are  German,  not  only  in  form  and 
structure,  hut  also  in  furniture,  decoration,  and,  above  all, 
in  the  immaculate  cleanliness  which  is  so  characteristic  of 
the  German  liausfrau.  The  children  are  well-bred,  neatly 
clad,  and  as  active  and  industrious  as  their  parents.  They 
spend  a good  part  of  their  youth  in  school  and,  when  they 
attain  manhood  and  womanhood,  they  are  almost  as  well 
equipped  for  the  duties  of  life  as  are  their  kinsfolk  in  the 
valleys  of  the  Rhine  and  the  Oder. 

Even  as  we  speed  through  the  country  on  the  railway 
train,  we  find  everywhere  reminders  of  the  fact  that  we 
are  in  a land  that  is  virtually  German.  At  the  larger  sta- 
tions men  and  boys,  carrying  large  glasses  of  cool,  foaming 
beer  from  the  great  brewery  in  Valdivia,  ciy  out,  “ Glas 
Bier,  gefalligV’  Should  they  address  a Chilean,  they  will 
probably  put  the  question  in  Spanish,  and  politely  inquire, 
“Una  cerveza?”  at  the  same  time  holding  the  fresh,  tempt- 
ing beverage  up  to  the  thirsty  passenger  at  the  window  of 
the  car. 

I say  this  part  of  Chile  is  virtually  German.  This  is 
not  an  exaggeration.  The  Germans  own  nearly  three- 
fourths  of  the  land,  and  the  amount  falling  under  their 
control  is  constantly  increasing.  Everywhere  one  sees  their 
well-cultivated  farms  and  the  large  tracts  of  land  where 
they  have  felled  and  burnt  myriads  of  forest  trees  prepara- 
tory to  the  work  of  the  plow  and  the  reaper.  There  is  no 
better  wheatland  in  Chile  than  that  which  has  recently 
been  brought  under  cultivation  by  the  enterprising  and  tire- 
less sons  of  the  Fatherland.  The  soil  is  equally  adapted 
to  the  raising  of  fruits  of  all  kinds.  Nowhere  will  one 
see  finer  peaches,  plums,  cherries  and  strawberries.  And 
nowhere  will  one  find  blackberries  in  greater  abundance. 

The  blackberry  bush,  which  was  introduced  into  the 

333 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


country  some  decades  ago  by  the  Germans,  is  so  luxuriant 
that  it  threatens  to  become  as  much  of  a plague  as  are  the 
rabbits  of  California  and  Australia.  They  are  found  every- 
where— along  the  roads,  in  the  fields,  invading  the  yards 
and  gardens.  Nowhere  have  I seen  them  so  large,  so  vigor- 
ous, so  determined  to  take  possession  of  all  unoccupied 
ground.  How  to  control  the  spread  of  this  sturdy  and 
prolific  intruder  has  recently  become  a serious  problem  for 
the  farmers  of  southern  Chile. 

But  not  only  do  the  Germans  control  the  greater  part 
of  the  small  farmlands,  but  they  have  also  gotten  posses- 
sion of  many  of  the  large  latifundia  which  were  for  genera- 
tions the  property  of  old  Chilean  families  who  were  de- 
scended from  the  Conquistadores.  Some  of  these  vast 
estates  embrace  more  than  a hundred  thousand  acres,  a 
great  part  of  which  is  made  up  of  valuable  timber  lands. 
Until  recently  the  lumber  used  in  a great  part  of  Chile 
was  imported  from  Norway,  Sweden,  Vancouver  and  Puget 
Sound,  but  since  the  Germans  have  gotten  possession  of 
the  large  forestlands  of  Valdivia  and  Llanquihue,  they  have 
developed  the  lumber  industry  like  every  other  to  which 
they  have  put  their  hands.  Sawmills  have  been  established 
all  along  the  railroad  and,  at  almost  every  station,  one 
will  see  large  piles  of  lumber  ready  for  shipment.  Before 
the  advent  of  the  Germans  in  Valdivia,  boards  and  planks 
were  so  rare  and  valuable  that  they  were  used  in  place 
of  coin  as  a medium  of  exchange.  Now,  owing  to  the  rapid 
exploitation  of  the  great  forests  of  the  country  occupied 
by  the  Teutonic  colonists,  the  lumber  industry  is  becoming 
one  of  the  most  flourishing  and  profitable  of  this  part  of 
the  Republic. 

A half  century  ago  the  activities  of  the  Germans  in 
Chile  were  confined  almost  entirely  to  agriculture,  and  the 
sphere  of  their  operations  was  limited  to  but  a small  sec- 
tion of  the  country.  Now  they  are  found  in  all  parts  of 
the  Republic  and  their  influence  is  felt  in  the  social  and 

334 


MYTHS  AND  MARVELS 


political  as  well  as  in  the  industrial  and  commercial  world. 
Nor  have  the  Chileans  any  reason  to  be  dissatisfied  with 
the  prosperity  and  ever-increasing  influence  of  the  Teutonic 
element  of  their  population.  Far  from  it.  They  are  the 
first  to  rejoice  in  the  success  and  prominence  of  their 
German  colonists  and  the  German  men  of  affairs  who  have 
contributed  so  materially  towards  making  Chile  what  she 
is  today. 

The  following  extract  from  a Chilean  paper,  published 
about  the  time  of  our  visit,  tells  of  the  dominating  posi- 
tion of  the  Germans  in  many  spheres  of  activity.  “Our 
system  of  education,  ’ ’ declares  the  writer  of  the  article,  ‘ ‘ is 
German.  Our  most  distinguished  teachers  are  German. 
Our  electric  works  are  German.  Our  military  system  is 
German.  Almost  the  entire  saltpeter  zone  of  Tolo  and 
Taltal  is  German.  Most  of  our  largest  and  best  banks 
are  German.  Our  gold  reserves  are  deposited  in  German 
banks.  When  our  people  go  abroad,  they  travel  in  German 
steamers.  Necessary  commodities  of  all  kinds  come  to  us 
in  German  ships.  Our  children  play  with  German  toys. 
German  products  predominate  in  our  markets.  Our  peri- 
odicals are  printed  on  German  paper,  or,  at  least,  on  paper 
which  is  brought  to  us  by  German  merchants.  I have,  there- 
fore, said  that  when  the  day  comes  that  another  nation 
knocks  at  our  door,  it  will  find  inscribed  on  it  the  word 
‘Occupied.’  ” 

In  Chile,  as  in  Brazil  and  as  in  the  United  States,  the 
Germans  are  not  only  among  the  best  and  the  most  indus- 
trious citizens,  but  also  the  most  loyal  citizens  of  the  land 
of  their  adoption.  They  retain,  it  is  true,  the  manners  and 
customs  of  the  Fatherland.  They  are  proud  of  its  tradi- 
tions, its  art,  its  literature,  its  science,  its  contributions 
to  social  and  economic  progress,  its  great  poets  and  states- 
men and  heroes ; but  they  are  as  thoroughly  and  devotedly 
Chilean  as  are  their  countrymen  in  the  United  States  thor- 
oughly and  devotedly  Americans.  They  may,  indeed,  cling 

335 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


to  the  language  of  their  fathers,  and  their  children,  even, 
may  be  unable  to  speak  any  other  in  certain  colonies  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  Republic,  but  they  are,  neverthe- 
less, as  wholly  and  unreservedly  Chilean  as  the  German- 
speaking inhabitants  of  Southern  Brazil  are  wholly  and 
unreservedly  Brazilian.  All  talk  about  the  Germans  of 
Valdivia  and  Llanquihue,  as  all  talk  about  the  Germans  in 
Rio  Grande  do  Sul  and  Santa  Catharina  and  Parana,  being 
in  any  way  subjects  of  the  Kaiser,  or  disposed  to  aid  and 
abet  any  alleged  schemes  of  German  conquest  in  South 
America,  is  as  wild  and  as  fantastic  as  would  be  similar 
talk  respecting  our  fellow-citizens  of  German  origin  in  the 
United  States.  The  people  of  German  descent  in  Chile  who 
have  their  homes  and  families  there  are,  it  can  be  posi- 
tively asserted,  as  much  attached  to  their  adopted  country 
as  are  the  descendants  of  the  Conquistadores. 

The  end  of  our  railway  journey  in  Chile  was  at  Puerto 
Varas,  at  which  we  arrived  at  eight  o’clock  on  a delightful 
morning  of  the  last  month  of  spring.  Puerto  Varas  is  a 
bustling  little  German  town  on  the  western  shore  of  Llan- 
quihue and  looks  much  like  one  of  the  picturesque  burgs 
which  adorn  the  green  slopes  around  Lake  Constance  or 
Lake  Neuchatel.  Everybody  in  town  was  at  the  station 
to  meet  us  on  our  arrival.  There  was,  of  course,  the  in- 
evitable brass  band,  which  discoursed  various  national 
airs,  including  “Die  Wacht  am  Rhein,”  as  we  exchanged 
greetings  with  the  courteous  committee  which  had  come  to 
extend  to  us  the  hospitality  of  Puerto  Varas. 

But,  although  we  were  in  a Spanish-American  country, 
the  language  spoken  by  almost  everyone  around  us  was 
German.  Many  of  the  people  whom  we  met  could  not  speak 
any  other  tongue.  On  all  sides  we  heard  the  cordial 
“Willkommen”  of  young  and  old  and  could  easily  fancy 
ourselves  among  old  friends  in  the  Harz  or  Schwarzwald. 
Like  Valdivia,  Union  and  Osorno,  Puerto  Varas,  although 
named  after  a distinguished  Chilean  statesman,  is  in  every 

336 


MYTHS  AND  MARVELS 


way  distinctively  German.  Not  only  is  tlie  language  of 
the  people  German,  but  German  also  are  their  dress,  their 
habits  of  life,  the  structure  and  appearance  of  their  homes. 
Their  cozy  and  roomy  frame  cottages  were  in  marked  con- 
trast to  the  narrow,  wattle  hovels  of  the  roto,  or  the  smoky, 
thatched  rucas  of  the  Araucanian.  Each  cottage  was  sur- 
rounded by  a green  grass  plot  adorned  with  trim  shrub- 
bery, well-kept  flower-beds  and  a number  of  fruit  trees. 
Roses  and  geraniums  and  fuchsias  were  everywhere — along 
the  pathways,  around  the  doors,  on  the  window-sills.  Order 
and  cleanliness  were  observable  in  everything,  from  the 
tidily  dressed  children,  whose  bright,  smiling  faces  greeted 
us  on  all  sides,  to  the  immaculate  lace  curtains  which  decked 
the  windows  of  their  neat  and  cheerful  homes.  Every- 
thing revealed  the  deft  hand  of  the  hausfrau,  as  well  as  her 
innate  love  of  order  and  cleanliness. 

A sumptuous  breakfast  was  served  us  in  the  leading- 
hotel  of  the  place.  All  the  dishes  were  served  in  German 
style,  while  many  of  them,  like  Westphalian  ham  and  Stras- 
burg  pate,  were  to  the  hungry  members  of  our  party  not 
unpleasant  reminders  of  the  Fatherland.  There  were,  too, 
for  those  who  desired  it  at  that  early  hour,  beer  from  the 
huge  German  brewery  in  Valdivia  and  choice  vintages  from 
the  cellars  of  the  Rhine  and  the  Moselle.  And  our  portly 
and  good-natured  German  host  did  the  honors  in  a way 
that  would  have  reflected  credit  on  the  most  accomplished 
Gastwirt  in  the  land  of  his  fathers. 

To  be  thus  suddenly  landed  in  the  heart  of  Germany, 
while  traveling  in  a Spanish-American  republic,  seemed 
almost  uncanny.  But  there  was  another  surprise  awaiting 
us.  There  had  to  be,  as  in  every  other  place  which  we 
had  visited,  a formal  address  of  welcome.  Among  the 
reception  committee  were  four  German  Jesuits  who  were 
engaged  in  missionary  work  in  this  part  of  the  world.  It 
was  the  superior  of  these  missionaries  who  had  been  se- 
lected as  spokesman  for  the  people  of  Puerto  Varas.  His 

337 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


address,  however,  was  not  in  German,  hut  in  English,  and 
very  correct  English  it  was.  It  was  he,  also,  who,  at  the 
end  of  the  speech-making  and  exchange  of  compliments, 
called  for  three  cheers  for  the  guests  of  the  hour,  and  led 
in  the  cheering  by  a vigorous  “Hip!  Hip!  Hurrah!” 

On  leaving  the  hotel  in  which  we  had  been  so  royally 
entertained,  we  found  a large  number  of  charming  school- 
girls, dressed  in  white  and  bearing  bouquets  of  roses,  wait- 
ing to  greet  us.  They  came  from  a convent  school,  nearby, 
conducted  by  nuns  who  a few  years  previously  had  been 
driven  from  their  homes  in  France  by  the  notorious  Lois 
d’ Associations.  But  this  is  only  one  of  many  instances 
which  might  be  cited  of  homes  of  learning  and  charity  in 
Chile  which  are  in  the  hands  of  religieuses  who  have  been 
exiled  from  France  by  those  who  should  have  most  appre- 
ciated the  value  of  their  services  in  school,  asylum  and 
hospital. 

A radical  member  of  the  Chilean  Congress,  Senor 
Pleiteado,  proclaimed  to  the  world,  a short  time  before 
our  arrival,  the  measure  of  the  hospitality  which  his  coun- 
try accords  the  exiled  religious  of  Europe  when  he  de- 
clared in  a noted  discourse:  “Chile  is  not  only  a land  of 
promise,  but  also  a new  Thebaid,  where  the  exiled  religious 
from  all  corners  of  the  world  find  an  asylum.  They  land 
on  our  shores  and  the  government  at  once  makes  due  pro- 
vision to  enable  them  to  carry  on  their  works  of  instruc- 
tion and  charity.  They  arrive  without  a cent  and  estab- 
lish themselves  without  authorization,  for  none  is  re- 
quired.” They  are  cordially  received  everywhere,  for  the 
Chileans  have  long  since  learned  their  worth  and  know 
that  the  services  which  they  render  to  rich  and  poor  alike 
are  such  as  can  be  secured  only  through  those  who  have 
vowed  themselves  to  lives  of  beneficence  and  mercy. 

But  Chile  is  not  alone  in  this  generous  attitude  towards 
the  exiled  sisters  of  France.  I have  seen  them  in  the  val- 
leys of  Venezuela,  on  the  llanos  of  Colombia,  in  the  wilds 

. 338 


MYTHS  AND  MARVELS 


of  Brazil.  And  everywhere,  as  in  Chile,  they  are  engaged 
in  the  instruction  of  youth  and  in  the  care  of  the  sick  and 
the  helpless  and  the  orphan — everywhere  venerated  as 
angels  of  mercy  and  the  noblest  of  God’s  creatures  on 
earth. 

After  enjoying  the  hospitality  of  the  good  people  of 
Puerto  Yaras,  we  prepared  to  start  on  the  next  lap  of  our 
journey,  which  was  to  take  us  to  Bahia  Blanca  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  continent.  As  the  crow  flies,  the  dis- 
tance across  South  America  is  some  hundreds  of  miles 
less  in  the  latitude  of  Puerto  Varas  than  it  is  in  that  of 
Buenos  Aires.  But  as  the  projected  transcontinental  rail- 
road from  Bahia  Blanca  to  Puerto  Varas  is  only  about 
half  completed,  the  time  required  to  go  from  the  Pacific 
to  the  Atlantic  is,  even  under  the  most  favorable  condi- 
tions, more  than  twice  as  long  by  the  southern  route  as 
that  demanded  on  the  railway  which  connects  Buenos  Aires 
with  Valparaiso. 

All  of  our  party  looked  forward  to  this  trip  across  the 
continent  with  almost  jubilant  anticipation.  The  country 
traversed  was  practically  a terra  incognita  until  a few  dec- 
ades ago,  and  even  now  the  number  who  have  visited  it 
in  recent  years  are  extremely  limited.  And  yet  for  points 
of  interest  and  magnificent  scenery  the  Andean  portion 
of  it  is  unsurpassed  by  anything  similar  on  the  entire 
globe. 

Accompanied  by  our  kind  hosts  and  a greater  portion 
of  the  population  of  Puerto  Varas,  we  proceeded  to  the 
landing-place  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Llanquihue,  where  we 
found  a small  steamer,  about  the  size  of  one  of  the  vaporini 
which  ply  along  the  canals  of  Venice,  waiting  for  us.  This 
steamer  was  to  convey  us  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  lake, 
whence  we  were  to  continue  our  journey  by  alternate  ex- 
cursions on  land  and  water  until  we  reached  the  western 
terminus  of  the  railroad  which  was  to  take  us  to  the  At- 
lantic seaboard. 


339 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Lake  Llanquihue  is  tlie  largest  body  of  water  in  tem- 
perate South  America.  It  has  an  area  of  about  five  hun- 
dred square  miles  and  a maximum  depth  of  several  hun- 
dred feet.  It  is  one  of  several  lakes  which  we  traversed 
during  our  peregrinations  in  Southern  Chile  and  Argen- 
tina. Discovered  by  Valdivia,  it  long  bore  his  name.  Stu- 
dents of  Chilean  history  and  geography  cannot  but  regret 
that  this  designation  was  not  retained.  The  waters  of  this 
superb  body  of  water,  like  those  of  Lake  Geneva  and  of 
many  Alpine  lakes,  exhibit  an  exquisite  blue  color  and  are 
in  marked  contrast  with  the  emerald-green  fields  by  which 
it  is  surrounded,  and  the  dazzling  snow-capped  mountain 
peaks  which  rise  almost  from  the  edge  of  the  crystal  reser- 
voir at  their  feet. 

The  first  things  to  attract  our  attention,  after  our  little 
steamer  has  fairly  started  on  her  course,  are  several  tow- 
ering mountains  whose  summits  are  covered  with  perpetual 
snow.  But  here  the  line  of  perpetual  snow  is  only  about 
five  thousand  feet  above  sea  level,  whereas  in  the  region 
of  the  equator  it  is  fully  three  times  as  high. 

Two  of  these  snow-capped  mountains,  Calbuco  and 
Osorno,  are  active  volcanoes,  and  they  at  times  eject  a vast 
amount  of  steam,  ashes  and  lava.  Osorno  is  more  than 
seven  thousand  feet  high  and  is  a most  conspicuous  and 
beautiful  object  from  every  point  of  view.  Its  perfectly 
formed  cone,  while  not  so  large  as  those  of  Misti  and 
Cotopaxi,  is  equally  imposing.  And  although  Cotopaxi, 
which  is  the  highest  active  volcano  in  the  world,  is  nearly 
three  times  as  high  as  Osorno,  it  does  not  seem  to  exceed 
it  in  height.  This  is  because  the  famous  Ecuadorean  vol- 
cano rises  from  a lofty  plateau  more  than  two  miles  above 
sea-level,  while  the  base  of  Osorno  is  but  a little  more  than 
a hundred  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  Pacific.  As  I con- 
templated the  glittering  cone  of  majestic  Osorno,  clad  in 
eternal  snow,  I recalled  Ercilla’s  description  of  the  neigh- 
boring volcano  of  Villa  Rica  : 

340 


MYTHS  AND  MARVELS 


Gran  volcan  vecino, 

Frague  segun  afirman  de  Vulcano, 

Que  regoldando  fuego  esta  continuo — 

the  great  volcano  nearby,  said  to  be  the  forge  of  Vulcan, 
which  is  continually  belching  fire.  Had  the  old  forger  of 
Jupiter’s  thunderbolts  known  of  Osorno,  he  would,  I fancy, 
have  selected  it  for  his  smithy  rather  than  iEtna.  And  his 
adjutant  Cyclopes,  supposing,  of  course,  that  they  were  not 
insensible  to  the  beauty  of  their  surroundings,  would,  I am 
sure,  have  approved  of  his  choice. 

Our  first  view  of  Osorno  was  entrancing.  The  land- 
scape round  about  us  was  suffused  with  the  glorious  radi- 
ance of  vernal  sunshine.  All  nature  was  pulsing  with  the 
rapture  of  spring.  A slight  pearly  mist  hung  over  the 
placid  waters  of  the  lake.  The  balmy  air  was  opaline  in 
its  transparency.  Filmy,  white  clouds,  like  laces,  diapered 
the  blue  sky.  Masses  of  feathery  vapor  rose  from  the 
crater  of  the  volcano  and  slowly  floated  away  into  space. 
The  lower  slopes  of  the  majestically  grand  mountain  were 
panoplied  with  shrubs  and  trees  of  rare  beauty  and  luxuri- 
ance. As  I contemplated  the  glory  of  this  immense  jewel 
of  the  Creator,  the  charm  of  its  incomparably  noble  out- 
line amid  its  lofty  silence  and  supreme  calm,  I felt  myself 
completely  carried  away  by  the  enchantment  of  its  irre- 
sistible spell.  And  I recalled  the  thoughtful  words  of  Kant, 
who  declares  that,  “In  the  midst  of  a beautiful  scene  of  na- 
ture, invaded  by  a full  but  calm  sense  of  well-being,  when 
his  spirit  is  most  open  to  moral  instincts,  there  seizes  man 
an  imperious  need  to  be  thankful  to  someone.”  And  to 
whom  should  our  gratitude  go  out  but  to  Him  who  has 
fashioned  all  these  wonders  of  loveliness  and  sublimity? 

After  the  marvels  of  the  mountains,  that  which  next 
arrested  our  attention  was  the  cheerful  and  gayly  fascinat- 
ing houses  which  were  embowered  in  the  woods  and  gar- 
dens along  the  shores  of  the  lake  and  on  the  flanks  and 

341 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


bases  of  the  mountains.  These  were  the  homes  of  the 
German  farmers  who  have  here  converted  what  was  once 
an  impenetrable  forest  into  a veritable  Eden.  Broad  acres 
of  wheat  and  maize  and  flax;  green  meadows  dotted  with 
happy  flocks  and  herds;  lovely  woodlands  with  towering 
oaks  and  pines  and  cedars,  harmonized  perfectly  with  the 
foam-flecked  wavelets  breaking  on  the  shore  and  the  verdant 
slopes  of  the  sun-kissed  hills. 

But  these  homes  of  peace  and  comfort  were  not  won 
without  long  years  of  labor  and  sacrifice.  The  pioneers 
here,  as  in  most  other  countries,  had  many  and  protracted 
struggles  against  hunger  and  poverty  before  the  reward  of 
their  toil  was  in  sight.  But,  nothing  daunted  by  their  try- 
ing experience  in  a strange  land,  both  men  and  women 
continued  to  labor  bravely  and  unremittingly  until  they 
had  comfortable  homes  for  themselves  and  their  children, 
and  were  finally  in  their  old  age  able  to  enjoy  the  success 
of  toil  under  their  own  vine  and  fig  tree. 

Three  hours  after  leaving  Puerto  Varas,  we  arrived 
at  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  lake,  where  we  disembarked 
at  the  very  foot  of  what,  during  our  passage  eastwards, 
had  been  the  cynosure  of  all  eyes — majestic  Osorno.  Here 
a troop  of  saddle  horses  was  in  waiting  to  take  our  party 
across  the  narrow  stretch  of  land  which  separates  Lake 
Llanquiliue  from  another  charming  body  of  water  known 
as  Lago  de  Todos  los  Santos.  In  addition  to  the  horses, 
there  was  also  a four-wheeled  vehicle  which  was  a cross 
between  an  express  wagon  and  a jaunting-car.  Dr.  Fran- 
cisco Moreno,  the  noted  Argentine  savant,  and  I chose  this 
mode  of  locomotion.  I was  glad  I did  so,  for  Dr.  Moreno 
had  spent  many  years  in  exploring  the  region  we  were 
about  to  traverse,  and  no  one,  either  in  Chile  or  in  Ar- 
gentina, was  more  familiar  with  the  marvelous  scenes  along 
our  route,  or  more  competent  to  interpret  the  many  extraor- 
dinary phenomena  which  presented  themselves  to  our  ad- 
miring gaze. 


342 


MYTHS  AND  MARVELS 


Both  Llanquilme  and  Todos  los  Santos  were  originally 
a single  body  of  water  that  owed  its  origin  to  the  immense 
glaciers  which  covered  this  region  when  the  whole  of  Pata- 
gonia was  covered  with  a vast  mantle  of  ice  and  snow. 
The  isthmus  which  now  separates  the  two  lakes  was  formed 
by  huge  deposits  of  lava  and  ashes  from  the  crater  of 
Osorno  which,  ages  ago,  was  far  more  active  than  it  is  at 
present.  The  last  eruption  of  any  importance  occurred  to- 
wards the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Calbuco,  how- 
ever, which  is  only  a few  miles  to  the  southwest,  was  quite 
active  as  late  as  1893. 

The  width  of  the  isthmus  between  Lakes  Llanquilme  and 
Todos  los  Santos  is  about  eight  miles.  The  road  from  one 
end  to  the  other  is  over  lava  and  volcanic  sand.  Owing, 
however,  to  the  long-continued  action  of  the  elements,  these 
Plutonic  deposits  have  been  converted  into  a rich  soil  which 
is  now  covered  with  luxuriant  vegetation.  Not  far  from 
the  road  is  a large  formation  composed  of  basaltic  col- 
umns like  those  found  in  many  places  along  the  Andean 
and  Bocky  Mountain  axes  all  the  way  from  southern  Chile 
to  northern  Alaska.  Among  the  many  notable  trees  and 
shrubs  along  the  wayside,  that  which  particularly  attracted 
my  attention  was  the  superb  Fuchsia  macrostemma,  the 
parent  of  most  of  the  cultivated  varieties  of  the  fuchsia 
so  prized  in  our  gardens  and  greenhouses.  The  people  of 
California  and  Oregon  pride  themselves  on  the  size  of 
their  fuchsias,  hut  theirs  are  quite  dwarfish  beside  some 
of  the  truly  arboreal  specimens  found  wild  in  the  luxuriant 
forests  which  border  the  lakes  of  southern  Chile. 

After  a delightful  drive  of  nearly  two  hours  along 
the  foot  of  mighty  Osorno,  we  arrived  at  Petrohue,  a small 
trading-post  on  the  west  shore  of  Lago  Todos  los  Santos. 
We  stopped  here  long  enough  to  take  a much  relished 
cup  of  tea,  when  we  embarked  in  a small  launch  for  the 
little  hamlet  of  Peulla,  at  the  opposite  end  of  the  lake. 
The  water  of  Lake  Todos  los  Santos,  in  marked  contrast  to 

343 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


the  deep  blue  of  Lake  Llanquihue,  is  of  an  exquisite  green 
color.  It  was  for  this  reason  that  a modern  explorer,  ig- 
norant of  the  work  of  his  predecessors  and  fancying  that 
he  had  discovered  a new  lake,  gave  it  the  name  Laguna 
de  la  Esmeralda — Emerald  Lake.  Although  this  desig- 
nation perfectly  describes  the  appearance  of  this  magnifi- 
cent body  of  water,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  name  by 
which  it  was  known  to  the  early  missionary  explorers 
will  be  retained. 

Of  all  the  lakes  I have  seen  in  the  New  or  the  Old  World, 
I think  this  Lake  of  All  Saints  is  the  most  enchanting. 
Although  its  area  is  less  than  half  of  that  of  Lake  Llanqui- 
hue, its  setting  is  far  more  attractive.  It  is  surrounded 
by  an  escarpment  of  varied  height  and  character.  Here 
are  lofty  forest-clad  hills;  there  colossal  masses  of  gran- 
ite, bare  and  jagged.  Ever  and  anon  there  is  a narrow 
ravine  through  which  rushes  a white-foamed  torrent,  or 
a lofty  shelf  from  which  leaps  the  loveliest  of  waterfalls 
into  the  dark  and  deep  gulf  below,  or  a series  of  terraces 
over  which  pass  musical  cascades  of  rarest  beauty,  or 
tree-fringed  glens  and  coves  and  silver  streams  like  those 
one  is  wont  to  picture  in  fairyland.  Then  surmounting 
these  fascinating  creations  of  Nature’s  handicraft  are 
majestic  Osorno  and  Calbuco,  Techado  and  Puntiagudo — 
majestic  white-mantled  mountains  which  are  the  homes  of 
glaciers  and  the  sources  of  countless  crystalline  streams 
and  rivers.  Still  towering  above  all  these  and  rising  into 
the  empyreal  realms  of  the  condor  is  imperial  Tronador — 
the  Thunderer — whose  vast  ice  sheets  have,  since  the  Gla- 
cial Period,  been  unceasingly  active  in  polishing  mountains 
and  carving  out  basins  for  the  chains  of  lakes  and  lakelets 
with  which  this  region  of  marvels  is  everywhere  adorned. 

On  every  side  there  is  the  fairest  of  prospects  over 
peaceful  glens,  wooded  islands,  opalescent  waterfalls. 
Whether  we  fix  our  gaze  on  the  lowlands  that  border  the 
emerald  waters,  or  lift  our  eyes  towards  the  radiant  moun- 

344 


MYTHS  AND  MARVELS 


tain  heights,  our  vision  rests  on  a panorama  that  delights 
the  soul  and  wakes  the  intellect  to  unwonted  activity.  And 
this  is  true,  no  matter  what  the  hour  of  the  day.  It  is 
especially  true  when  the  mountains  and  hills  are  draped 
in  the  white  mists  of  the  morning;  when,  at  noonday,  the 
emerald  isles  of  the  lake  sleep  under  a rapture  of  blue; 
when,  at  the  approach  of  twilight,  mountain  and  lake  and 
island  are  drowned  in  the  golden  vapors  of  the  west.  Then 
the  colors  of  the  aquamarine  lake  and  its  forest-fringed 
shores  are  quite  magical  in  their  variety  and  depth,  while 
the  play  of  light  and  shadow  over  the  enchanting  scene  is 
almost  mystical.  But  it  is,  above  all,  in  the  gathering  shad- 
ows of  the  evening,  when  the  green  of  the  woodland  melts 
into  somber  brown,  and  the  mountains  seem  slowly  to 
retire  in  the  distance,  folding  softly  their  tenuous  veils 
about  them,  that  the  golden  hours  flit  away  on  stealthiest 
wings.  Then  silence  hovers  over  the  magic  expanse,  peace 
reigns  supreme  and  all  nature  seems  to  lie  under  a hand 
lifted  in  benediction. 

I was  finally  roilsed  from  my  reverie  by  the  shrill 
whistle  of  the  launch  announcing  our  approach  to  our  des- 
tination for  the  night.  Looking  landwards,  I descried  on 
the  distant,  gloom-enveloped  shore  a number  of  lights  that 
looked  like  earth-bound  stars.  Shortly  afterwards  we  were 
in  the  charming  hamlet  of  Peulla,  under  the  hospitable 
roof  of  a comfortable  German  inn,  where  we  were  the  re- 
cipients of  the  same  courteous  attention  which  had  been 
extended  to  us  in  the  morning  in  the  delightful  Gasthaus 
of  Puerto  Varas. 

We  were  up  at  four  o’clock  the  following  morning  and, 
after  a cup  of  coffee  and  a biscuit,  were  in  the  saddle  on 
the  way  to  Puerto  Blest,  on  Lago  Frio.  The  first  part  of 
our  journey  was  along  the  impetuous,  silt-bearing  Rio 
Peulla,  which  has  its  source  in  one  of  the  great  glaciers 
of  giant  Tronador.  During  the  Glacial  Period  this  same 
icefield,  which  now  terminates  on  the  flank  of  Thunder 

345 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Mountain,  filled  the  valley  of  the  Peulla  to  the  height  of 
many  hundred  feet  and  extended  far  into  the  bed  of  dis- 
tant Lake  Llanquiliue.  All  along  its  former  path  one  finds 
evidence  of  its  resistless  eroding  power,  besides  count- 
less moraines  of  immense  rocks  which  it  brought  from  the 
heights  of  Tronador  and  deposited  in  its  course,  before 
the  advent  of  a milder  climate  converted  the  sluggish  ice- 
cliute  into  a tumultuous  mountain  torrent. 

At  an  attractive  cottage,  called  Casa  Prangue,  near  the 
head-waters  of  the  Peulla,  we  saw  a number  of  most  luxuri- 
ant rose-bushes  bending  under  a load  of  the  most  exquisite 
blooms.  They  contrasted  in  a most  striking  manner  with 
the  great  ice-terminal  of  Tronador  which  seemed  but  a 
stone’s  throw  distant.  From  the  porch  of  Casa  Prangue 
we  were  afforded  our  nearest  views  of  Tronador.  But 
the  impression  produced  by  this  monarch  of  the  southern 
Andes  was  far  inferior  to  that  which  was  made  on  me 
the  preceding  evening  by  picturesque  Cerro  Techado.  We 
were  standing  on  the  deck  of  our  launch,  enjoying  the  su- 
perb and  radiant  scenery  of  Todos  los  Santos,  when  all  at 
once  the  snow-covered  summit  of  Techado 1 appeared 
flanked  by  two  dusky  peaks  in  the  foreground.  Silhouetted 
against  the  dark-blue  sky,  it  looked  like  the  Duomo  of 
Milan  on  a colossal  scale.  Then,  as  if  by  magic,  it  was  sud- 
denly lit  up  by  the  fires  of  the  setting  sun  and  glowed  like 
a temple  of  burnished  gold.  Slowly  the  gold  melted  into 
crimson  and  rose,  and  then,  as  our  boat  changed  its  course, 
the  vision  vanished  as  quickly  as  it  had  appeared. 

After  leaving  Casa  Prangue,  we  immediately  struck 
into  the  upper  reaches  of  the  forest-clad  Cordillera.  In 
about  an  hour,  our  horses  traveling  at  an  ordinary  gait,  we 
were  on  the  summit  of  the  Andes  and  examining  the  simple 
landmark  which  has  the  words  “Chile”  on  one  side  and 
“Argentine”  on  the  other.  We  were  at  the  boundary  line 

1 The  explorer  Steffen  so  named  this  mountain  from  the  fancied  resem- 
blance of  its  summit  to  the  roof — teclio — of  a house. 

346 


Mount  Osorno  with  Lake  Llanquiiiue  in  the  Foreground. 


Lago  Frio  with  Tronador  in  the  Distance, 


MYTHS  AND  MARVELS 


of  the  two  republics,  the  same  line  which,  prolonged  north- 
ward, passes  under  the  base  of  El  Christo  de  los  Andes — 
The  Prince  of  Peace. 

“Viva  Chile!”  shouted  Colonel  Roosevelt,  as  we  took 
our  last  look  at  the  monument  from  Chilean  soil.  “Viva 
Chile!”  was  echoed  by  our  entire  party.  Then,  after  cross- 
ing the  boundary,  the  Colonel’s  voice  was  again  heard 
in  a vigorous  “Viva  Argentina!”  a viva  which  was  repeated 
by  all  present.  And  our  cheers  were  heartfelt,  for  nowhere 
could  we  have  been  more  courteously  treated,  or  more  roy- 
ally entertained  than  we  had  been  both  in  Chile  and  in 
Argentina. 

The  pass  by  which  we  crossed  the  Andes  is  known  as 
Paso  Perez  Rosales  and  is  but  little  more  than  three  thou- 
sand feet  above  sea-level.  From  Aconcagua  to  the  Straits 
of  Magellan  the  height  of  the  Cordillera  gradually  de- 
creases as  the  altitude  of  the  same  chain  also  becomes  grad- 
ually less  north  of  lofty  Tolima  until  it  reaches  its  lowest 
depression  in  Panama.  But  what  interested  me  more  than 
its  slight  elevation  was  the  knowledge  of  the  fact  that 
this  remarkable  pass  had  been  crossed  by  the  Conquista- 
dores.  Until  recently  not  only  the  pass  itself,  but  all  the 
surrounding  country  was  practically  unknown  and  sup- 
posed to  offer  an  absolutely  new  field  for  explorers.  Now, 
however,  thanks  to  the  researches  of  historians  and  an- 
tiquarians, it  is  a matter  of  common  knowledge  that  the 
entire  region  from  Llanquilme  to  Nahuelhuapi  was  famil- 
iar ground  for  a century  and  a half  following  the  con- 
quest when,  for  a number  of  reasons,  it  lapsed  into  ob- 
livion. 

The  first  of  the  Conquistadores  to  cross  the  Andes  by 
the  Paso  Perez  Rosales  was  Diego  Flores  de  Leon,  whose 
family  was  descended  from  the  kings  of  France  and  Leon. 
Accompanied  by  forty-six  men,  he  traversed  the  country 
from  a point  near  the  volcano  Calbuco  by  practically  the 
same  route  as  we  ourselves  followed.  The  Spanish  drama- 

347 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


tist,  Perez  de  Montalvan,  refers  to  this  distinguished  Con- 
quistador as  the 

Maese  de  campo  a quien  dan 
En  las  regiones  australes 
Alabanzas  immortales.1 

Regarding  the  object  of  this  expedition  of  Diego  Flores, 
I shall  have  something  to  say  in  subsequent  pages. 

A little  more  than  two  hours  after  leaving  Casa  Prangue, 
we  were  on  our  way  across  a third  lake.  This  was  the 
beautiful  Lago  Frio,  so  called  by  the  Franciscan  explorer, 
Menendez,  because  of  its  cold  water  from  the  melting  snows 
and  glaciers  of  the  adjacent  mountains.  Lago  Frio  is 
much  smaller  than  Lake  Todos  los  Santos,  but  its  scenery 
is  no  less  superb.  It  is  almost  surrounded  by  a lofty  ram- 
part of  gneiss  and  granite  with  heavy,  gray  battlements 
towering  high  above  the  whitish-green  waters  of  the  lake 
which,  as  we  glided  over  its  mirror-like  surface,  gently  quiv- 
ered beneath  the  noonday  sun.  The  air  was  balmy,  gentle 
and  caressing.  Vistas  of  green  and  gold,  rendered  doubly 
beauteous  by  the  magical  play  of  sunlight  and  shadow,  de- 
lighted the  eye  and  elevated  the  soul.  And  as  we  slowly 
moved  over  the  green  waters  in  the  shadows  of  the  tow- 
ering cliffs,  a delicate  and  drowsy  languor  seemed  to  creep 
over  one  and  to  make  one  the  willing  captive  of  the  genius 
loci. 

Lago  Frio  is  connected  with  Puerto  Blest  on  an  arm  of 
Nahuelhuapi  by  a narrow  wooden  railroad  about  four  miles 
in  length.  A sturdy  old  ox  is  employed  as  the  motive- 
power  for  conveying  passengers  and  freight  over  this  primi- 
tive track.  But  the  ox  seemed  to  be  on  a strike  the  day 
our  party  required  his  services.  For,  after  drawing  the 
cart  forward  a few  rods  and  cajoling  some  of  us  into 
believing  that  we  were  going  to  have  the  most  romantic 

1 The  commander  who,  in  the  regions  of  the  south,  received  undying  glory. 

348 


MYTHS  AND  MARVELS 


ride  of  our  lives,  he  suddenly  left  the  track,  pulling  the 
cart  and  passengers  with  him,  and  started  back  to  his  stable. 
As  nothing  could  induce  him  to  proceed  towards  our  desti- 
nation, and  as  he  was  the  only  animal  available  for  the 
service  required,  all  of  our  party,  except  one,  who  fortu- 
nately had  been  provided  with  a good  saddle  horse,  were 
forced  to  journey  to  Puerto  Blest  on  foot. 

In  the  dense  forest  which  separates  the  two  lakes  we 
saw  some  immense  specimens  of  the  alerce,  the  Chilean 
arbor  vitee.  In  no  part  of  South  America,  except  possibly 
on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Peruvian  Andes,  have  I ever 
seen  such  forest  colossi.  While  they  have  not  the  dimen- 
sions of  the  famous  Sequoias  of  California,  they  are  prob- 
ably the  nearest  approach  to  them  of  the  world’s  great 
trees.  Many  of  them  have  a diameter  of  fifteen  feet  and 
an  altitude  of  two  hundred  and  fifty.  According  to  the 
estimates  of  the  distinguished  botanist,  Dr.  R.  A.  Philippi, 
some  of  the  largest  trees  have  the  stupendous  age  of  two 
thousand  five  hundred  years.  There  are,  no  doubt,  some 
exceptional  specimens  in  the  great  Chilean  woodlands 
whose  birth  was  contemporary  with  the  foundation  of 
Rome.  When  we  remember  that  the  oldest  trees  in  Europe 
cannot,  probably,  claim  an  antiquity  of  more  than  a thou- 
sand years,  at  most,  we  can  realize  what  forest  Methuselahs 
these  marvelous  Chilean  conifers  really  are.  The  learned 
historian,  Diego  de  Rosales,  called  the  alerce  “el  principe 
de  los  arboles  de  Chile” — the  prince  of  Chilean  trees.  For 
a long  time  the  boards  made  from  this  tree  were  used  in 
Southern  Chile  instead  of  money.  It  is  unsurpassed  as 
building  material,  and  the  great  alerzales — forests  of  alerce 
— in  the  southern  part  of  the  Republic  constitute  one  of 
the  country’s  richest  natural  resources. 

It  was  nearly  noon  when  we  reached  Puerto  Blest. 
Here,  after  a short  stop,  we  boarded  a small  steamer  for 
the  modern  town  of  Bariloche,  nearly  fifty  miles  distant. 
The  lake  is  named  from  an  island  in  its  center  called  bv 

349 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


the  Indians  Naliuellmapi — Island  of  the  Tiger.  Why  it  was 
so  called  is  unknown.  The  learned  Chileno-Gennan  savant, 
Francisco  Fonck,  who  thoroughly  explored  this  region  sixty 
years  ago,  renamed  the  island,  calling  it  Isla  Menendez, 
in  honor  of  the  eminent  Franciscan  explorer,  Fray  Fran- 
cisco Menendez.  By  this  name,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  it  will 
hereafter  be  known. 

In  many  respects  the  scenery  around  Lake  Nahuelhuapi 
is  like  that  of  the  other  lakes  which  we  saw  on  our  way 
from  Puerto  Yaras.  The  view,  however,  of  the  snow- 
capped mountains  around  Naliuellmapi  is  more  like  that 
of  the  Bolivian  and  Peruvian  Cordilleras  as  seen  from  Lake 
Titicaca.  They  are  grandiose  and  impressive  in  the  ex- 
treme. This  is  particularly  true  of  towering  Tronador 
and  a group  of  mountain  peaks  to  which,  from  their  re- 
semblance to  the  well-known  mountain  in  Switzerland, 
Fonck  has  given  the  name  Pilatus. 

The  first  Spaniards  to  visit  the  lake  were,  as  we  have 
seen,  the  Conquistador  Diego  Flores  de  Leon  and  his  com- 
panions. This  was  in  the  first  quarter  of  the  sixteenth 
century.  About  thirty  years  later  he  was  followed  by  the 
missionary  and  historian,  Padre  Diego  de  Rosales.  Two 
decades  after  the  expedition  of  Rosales,  the  Jesuit,  Padre 
Nicolas  Mascardi,  established  a mission  on  the  shores  of 
Nahuellmapi,  which,  after  passing  through  many  vicissi- 
tudes, came  to  a tragic  end  at  the  hands  of  the  Indians 
about  1717,  after  forty  years  of  uninterrupted  existence.1 

After  the  destruction  of  the  mission,  the  entire  region 


1 It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  Franciscans  had  a mission  on  the  shores  of 
Lake  Nahuelhuapi  during  the  conquest.  Even  at  that  early  period,  the  lake  in 
question  was  known  as  “la  famosa  laguna  de  Nahuelhuapi.”  This  long-for- 
gotten mission  met  with  the  same  fate,  at  the  hands  of  the  Indians,  as  that 
which  afterwards  befell  the  mission  established  by  Mascardi.  Cf.  the  elab- 
orate work  by  the  Chilean  author,  M.  L.  Amunategui,  entitled  “Question  de 
Limites  entre  Chile  i la  Republiea  Argentina,”  Tom.  Ill,  p.  340,  Santiago, 
1879-80.  See  also  ‘Historia  Fisica  y Politica  de  Chile,  Documentos,  ” Tom.  I, 
p.  313  et  seq.,  by  Sr.  D.  Claudio  Gay,  Paris,  1846. 

350 


MYTHS  AND  MARVELS 


between  Lake  Llanquiliue  and  Lake  Nahuelhuapi  was  virtu- 
ally forgotten  until  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century.  It 
was  then  again  thoroughly  explored  several  times  by  the 
Franciscan  missionary,  Fray  Francisco  Menendez.  But, 
by  a strange  fatality,  his  wonderful  achievements  as  an 
explorer  were  practically  lost  sight  of  for  nearly  a cen- 
tury. Then  his  remarkable  Diarios,  in  which  he  gives  an 
account  of  his  numerous  expeditions,  were  published  with 
annotations  in  two  most  interesting  volumes,1  by  Francisco 
Fonck,  who,  having  himself  thoroughly  explored  the  coun- 
try traversed  by  the  tireless  friar,  was  the  one  best  quali- 
fied to  appreciate  his  work  and  make  it  known  to  the 
world.2 

No  part  of  South  America,  it  may  safely  be  asserted,  has 
possessed  a greater  fascination  for  explorers  than  has  that 
strip  of  territory  which  lies  between  Lake  Llanquiliue  and 
Lake  Nahuelhuapi.  During  the  last  half-century,  particu- 
larly, men  of  science  from  many  lands  have  flocked  to  this 
region  of  enchanting  lakes,  snow-capped  peaks  and  sleep- 
ing volcanoes.  Among  them  were  botanists,  geologists, 
ethnologists,  geographers.  There  were  men  who  were  in 
search  of  gold  and  silver  mines;  men  whose  object  was 
the  development  of  trade  between  Chile  and  Argentina, 
or  the  location  of  the  shortest  and  best  railway  route  at 
this  latitude  between  the  Pacific  and  the  Atlantic.  To  stu- 

'“Viajes  de  Fray  Francisco  Menendez  a la  Cordillera.”  Publicados  y 
Comentados  por  Francisco  Fonck,  Valparaiso,  1896. 

“Viajes  de  Fray  Francisco  Menendez  a Nahuelhuapi.”  Publicados  y 
Comentados  por  Francisco  Fonck,  Valparaiso,  1900. 

2 As  an  evidence  of  how  completely  the  achievements  of  the  early  explorers 
were  forgotten,  until  a few  decades  ago,  it  suffices  to  state  that  Fonck,  at  the 
time  of  his  exploration  of  Nahuelhuapi,  was  utterly  ignorant  of  the  fact  that 
he  had  been  preceded  by  Menendez  and  that  the  distinguished  Franciscan  had 
given  in  his  Diario  a graphic  description  of  the  lake  and  the  surrounding  coun- 
try. This  accounts  for  Fonck ’s  renaming  many  places  which  the  monk-explorer 
had  named  in  the  preceding  century.  The  same  may  be  said  of  other  recent 
explorers,  who,  in  traversing  the  region  between  Llanquiliue  and  Nahuelhuapi, 
which  was  so  familiar  to  the  missionaries  of  two  and  a half  centuries  ago, 
imagined  that  they  were  making  known  to  the  world  a veritable  terra  incognita. 

351 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


dents  of  orography  and  hydrography  no  country  in  the 
world  offers  more  attractions  or  problems  of  greater  in- 
terest. The  list  of  those  who  have  distinguished  themselves 
by  their  researches  in  this  rich  field  is  a large  one  and 
their  names  have  an  honored  place  in  the  annals  of  science. 
Among  these  are  Francisco  Fonck,  whose  works  on  the 
illustrious  explorer-monk,  Menendez,  have  commanded  the 
admiration  and  the  gratitude  of  all  students  of  South  Amer- 
ican history  and  geography.  Comparing  the  explorations 
of  Menendez  with  those  of  explorers  of  more  recent  date, 
Fonck  does  not  hesitate  to  declare  that  the  long-forgotten 
Franciscan  carried  away  the  palm  from  all  of  them — 
llevaba  aun  la  palma  a toclos  ellos.1  There  were  also  R.  A. 
and  Bernardo  Philippi,  Rohde,  Fischer,  Hess,  Steffen, 
Geiss,  Stange,  Domeyko,  Mumm,  Braemer,  O’Connor, 
Christie,  Schiorbeck,  Dusen  and  Wiederliold  and  our 
learned  compagnon  de  voyage,  Dr.  Francisco  Moreno. 

The  purpose  of  the  explorations  of  those  last  named  was 
the  advancement  of  science  and  the  furtherance  of  the  wel- 
fare of  the  two  sister  republics,  Chile  and  Argentina.  But 
the  earlier  explorers,  beginning  with  Diego  Flores  de  Leon, 
had  quite  a different  object  in  view.  "What  they  hoped  to 
achieve  surpassed  even  the  legendary  exploits  of  Ruy  Diaz 
de  Bivar  and  exceeded  the  wildest  dreams  of  the  deluded 
seekers  for  El  Dorado.  Nothing,  indeed,  in  the  entire  his- 
tory of  Spanish  conquest  and  colonization  is  more  roman- 
tic or  fantastic  than  the  long  series  of  remarkable  expedi- 
tions which  were  inaugurated  by  the  Conquistador  Diego 
de  Flores  and  continued,  with  little  interruption,  for  nearly 
two  and  a half  centuries.  As  very  little  is  to  be  found 
about  these  expeditions,  outside  of  certain  little  known 
works  in  Spanish,  and  as  many  of  them  are  closely  con- 

1 Las  exploraciones  (le  Darwin  i Fitzroy,  de  Cox  i Musters,  de  Moreno. 
Fontana,  Mayano  i Lista  del  lado  del  Atlantico,  i de  Hudson,  Vidal  Gomez  i 
Simpson  desde  el  Pacifico,  habian  dejado,  todavia  un  vacio  considerable  en 
casi  todo  el  trajecto  de  la  Cordillera  de  modo  que  nuestro  Menendez  lleva  aun 
la  palma  a todos  ellos.”  Op.  cit.,  Tom.  II,  p.  451. 

352 


MYTHS  AND  MARVELS 


nected  with  the  region  which  we  are  now  considering,  a 
brief  account  of  them  will  not  be  out  of  place. 

Conquest  had  been  the  mainspring  of  action  in  all  the 
preceding  expeditions  of  the  Spaniards  in  Chile  and  La 
Plata.  From  the  time  of  Diego  de  Flores,  however,  their 
energies  and  ambitions  were  stimulated  by  the  reported 
existence  of  a fabulous  city  somewhere  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  continent.  It  is  known  in  history  as  La  Ciudad 
Encantada  de  los  Cesares — The  Enchanted  City  of  the 
Caesars.  Many  accounts  were  given  of  its  origin,  but  the 
one  which  appealed  most  strongly  to  popular  fancy  was 
that  which  attributed  its  existence  to  the  passengers  and 
crew  of  a Spanish  vessel  belonging  to  the  bishop  of  Palan- 
cia,  which  had  been  shipwrecked  in  the  Straits  of  Magellan 
before  Valdivia  left  Cuzco  for  the  conquest  of  Chile.  These 
unfortunates  were  on  their  way  to  the  Moluccas,  when  their 
vessel  was  driven  by  a furious  storm  upon  the  desolate  shore 
of  southern  Patagonia.  The  victims  numbered  one  hundred 
and  ninety-eight  soldiers  and  mariners,  thirty  adventurers 
and  twenty-three  married  women.  There  were  also  three 
aged  priests,  who  had  embarked  to  minister  to  the  spir- 
itual wants  of  their  countrymen. 

The  plight  of  these  unfortunates,  far  away  from  the 
nearest  of  their  compatriots,  was  almost  desperate.  But 
their  valiant  captain,  Don  Sebastian  de  Arguello,  was  not 
the  type  of  man  to  be  overcome  by  what  one  less  brave 
and  resourceful  would  have  deemed  an  irremediable  ca- 
tastrophe. After  remaining  for  a short  time  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  scene  of  disaster,  he  started  with  his  people  towards 
the  north,  and  after  numerous  conflicts  with  the  hostile 
natives,  finally  reached  a stretch  of  country  in  which  there 
were  delightful  lakes  surrounded  by  smiling  meadows. 
Here  the  gallant  captain  pitched  his  tents,  made  from  the 
sails  of  his  ship,  and  resolved  to  make  this  charming  place 
his  permanent  abode.  Nay  more!  He  would  establish  here 
an  independent  kingdom,  where  he  and  his  companions 

353 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


might  live  in  peace  and  far  away  from  tlie  strifes  and  the 
tumults  of  the  rest  of  the  world. 

They  had  been  preceded  to  this  part  of  the  world, 
so  report  had  it,  by  a colony  of  native  Peruvians,  who,  to 
escape  the  fate  of  their  countrymen  in  Cajamarca,  had  emi- 
grated far  to  the  southward.  Attracted  hv  the  beautiful 
lakes  and  the  fertile  lands  surrounding  them,  which  so  fas- 
cinated the  Spaniards,  the  Children  of  the  Sun  had  here 
established  a city  which,  according  to  the  sworn  state- 
ments of  those  who  pretended  to  have  been  in  it,  was  as  vast 
and  as  rich  as  Nineveh  of  old  and  greater  in  area  than 
London  or  Pekin.  The  houses  were  of  cut  stone,  with 
roofs  of  reddish  material  that  shone  like  gold.  The  fur- 
niture of  these  houses — the  beds,  chairs,  tables — were  all 
of  silver  and  gold  of  the  finest  quality.  In  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  enchanted  city  there  was  one  mountain  of 
gold  and  another  of  diamonds.  Pearls  were  almost  as 
abundant  as  the  precious  metals.  The  climate  was  so  health- 
ful that  disease  was  unknown,  and  the  inhabitants  died 
only  of  old  age.  The  church  was  a sumptuous  edifice,  and 
its  roof  of  burnished  silver  shone  like  a red-hot  coal.  The 
festivals  of  the  ecclesiastical  year  were  celebrated  with 
extraordinary  pomp  and  rejoicings.  The  people  were  so 
happy  in  their  isolation  and  so  unwilling  to  have  their 
whereabouts  known  by  their  countrymen  that  they  had  an 
understanding  with  the  neighboring  Indians  that  the  secret 
of  the  location  of  their  city  was  to  be  inviolably  preserved. 
According  to  the  accounts  of  those  who  testified  under 
oath  only  to  what  they  had  “seen  with  their  own  eyes 
and  touched  with  their  own  hands,  ’ ’ the  Enchanted  City  of 
the  Caesars  held  within  its  carefully  fortified  walls  all  the 
delights  of  Eden,  and  all  the  wonders  of  the  New  Jeru- 
salem. 

This  marvelous  city  which  was  built  by  Sebastian  de 
Arguello  and  his  shipwrecked  companions  and  their  de- 
scendants was  called  La  Ciudad  de  los  Cesares,  because  its 

354 


MYTHS  AND  MARVELS 


founders  were  the  subjects  of  Charles  V,  who  on  account 
of  his  world-wide  power  was  called  “The  Caesar.”  It  was 
spoken  of  as  Encantada  not  only  because  of  the  prodigies 
which  were  related  of  it,  but  also  because  of  its  being  lo- 
cated on  the  shores  of  lakes  of  enchanting  beauty.  It  was 
this  picturesque  and  grandiose  name,  as  the  graceful  writer, 
B.  Vicuna  Mackenna,1  well  observes,  which  contributed  not 
a little  to  invest  the  legend  of  the  city  of  the  Caesars  with 
the  prestige  which  it  so  long  enjoyed. 

The  first  to  make  known  to  the  world  the  existence  of 
the  Caesars,  as  the  people  of  the  Enchanted  City  were  called, 
were  two  Spaniards  who  pretended  to  have  been  among 
the  number  of  those  who  had  been  shipwrecked  with  Don 
Sebastian  de  Argnello  and  his  companions  and  to  have 
lived  with  them  seventeen  years  after  the  date  of  the  ship- 
wreck in  1540.  They  made  their  appearance  in  Concepcion, 
Chile,  in  1557,  and,  after  they  had  told  the  story  of  their 
adventures  and  of  the  marvels  of  the  City  of  the  Caesars, 
they  were  treated  with  the  greatest  consideration.  A writ- 
ten copy  of  their  narrative  was  made,  to  which  the  adventur- 
ers subscribed  under  oath.  A copy  of  this  document  was 
sent  to  Philip  II  and  its  truth  was  vouched  for  by  the 
authorities  of  Concepcion.  Soon  everybody  was  talking 
about  La  Ciudad  Encantada.  Its  marvels  were  the  subjects 
of  discussion  from  Spain  to  the  Philippines  and  from  Mex- 
ico to  Tierra  del  Fuego.  Everywhere  expeditions  were 
hastily  organized  for  the  discovery  of  the  wonderful  city 
and  the  chiefs  of  the  divers  expeditions  vied  with  one  an- 
other in  being  the  first  to  reach  their  long-isolated  country- 
men. Many  of  the  expeditions  were  organized  by  private 
initiative,  but  most  of  them  owed  their  existence  to  the 
governments  of  Chile,  La  Plata  and  Peru.  Some  of  them, 
even,  were  favored  by  royal  cedulas  from  the  mother 
country. 

Nobody  doubted  for  a moment  the  existence  of  the 

‘“Relacionee  Historicas,  ” Santiago  de  Chile,  1877. 

355 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Caesars.  How  could  one  harbor  doubt  in  the  face  of  so 
many  eye-witnesses  who  swore  in  the  most  solemn  manner 
that  what  they  bad  related  was  absolute  truth,  and  were 
ready  to  submit  to  any  punishment  if  what  they  had  as- 
serted of  the  Caesars  was  not  Gospel  truth?  As  an  evi- 
dence of  the  unshaken  belief  which  everywhere  prevailed 
respecting  the  existence  of  the  Caesars,  men  were  found  in 
every  walk  of  life  who  were  prepared  to  sacrifice  time 
and  money  and  even  to  risk  their  lives  in  the  quest  of 
the  Enchanted  City.  Among  these  were  some  of  the  most 
noted  and  the  most  sane  of  the  Conquistadores.  Carefully 
equipped  expeditions,  with  the  same  goal  in  view,  started 
almost  simultaneously  from  Buenos  Aires,  from  Cordoba, 
from  Valdivia,  from  Cliiloe,  all  of  them  with  the  knowl- 
edge and  approval  of  the  King  of  Spain,  the  viceroy  of 
Peru  and  the  governors  of  Chile  and  Rio  de  la  Plata.  Long- 
marches  over  arid  deserts  and  unexplored  mountains, 
through  dense  and  trackless  forests  and  lands  jealously 
guarded  by  hostile  savages,  had  no  terrors  for  them.  They 
rather  gave  zest  to  an  enterprise  which  appealed  so  strongly 
to  Spanish  chivalry  and  love  of  adventure  and  which  prom- 
ised so  much  glory  to  those  who  should  have  part  in  the 
undertaking.  Even  priests  and  monks  were  carried  away 
by  the  dominant  enthusiasm  of  the  multitude.  Not  doubt- 
ing the  existence  of  the  Caesars,  they  considered  it  their 
bounden  duty  to  look  after  the  spiritual  welfare  of  those 
who  had  so  long  been  separated  from  Christian  associa- 
tion and  influence.  The  Jesuit  historian,  Rosales,  expressed 
the  general  sentiment  of  his  brethren  in  religion  when 
he  wrote:  “May  the  Divine  Majesty  have  pity  on  the  de- 
scendants of  the  shipwrecked  Spaniards  who  are  in  dan- 
ger of  losing  not  only  the  faith  of  their  fathers,  but  also 
of  becoming  as  barbarous  as  the  Indians  among  whom  they 
live.”  1 

l“Quiera  la  divina  Majestad  compadecerse  de  destos  Espanoles — en 
quienes  estara  apagada  la  luz  de  la  fee,  que  sus  Padres  les  conumicarian  ya 

356 


MYTHS  AND  MARVELS 


Of  the  Cesaristas — the  epithet  applied  to  those  who  went 
in  search  of  the  Caesars — who  crossed  the  Cordillera  by  the 
same  route  which  we  ourselves  followed  nearly  three  cen- 
turies later,  we  have  already  mentioned  the  noble  and 
intrepid  Diego  de  Leon.  But  he  had  scarcely  reached  the 
shores  of  Nahuelliuapi  when  he  found  the  prosecution  of 
his  enterprise  blocked  by  hordes  of  belligerent  savages  who, 
he  was  informed,  stood  between  him  and  the  object  of  his 
quest. 

About  half  a century  afterwards,  he  was  followed  by 
Padre  Nicolas  Mascardi,  a zealous  Jesuit  missionary,  who 
conceived  it  to  be  his  duty  to  discover  the  whereabouts  of 
the  Caesars  and  bring  to  them  anew  the  gospel  of  Christ. 
Mascardi  was  a particular  friend  of  Rosales,  who  then  oc- 
cupied the  position  of  vice-provincial  of  the  Society  in  Chile. 
Both  men  were  agreed  about  the  necessity  of  discovering 
the  whereabouts  of  the  Caesars  and  carrying  to  them  the 
message  of  salvation.  It  seemed  clear  to  both  of  them  that, 
after  being  separated  from  civilization  for  more  than  a cen- 
tury, the  denizens  of  the  Enchanted  City  had  lost  not  only 
their  faith,  but  also  the  language  of  their  fathers.  How 
then  was  one  to  communicate  with,  them?  This  was  a 
problem  which  gave  them  much  thought.  After  a thorough 
discussion,  it  was  resolved  that  Mascardi  should  formulate 
a letter  to  the  Caesars  which  should  be  written  in  several 
languages,  in  the  hope  that  they  might  be  able  to  under- 
stand at  least  one  of  these  missives. 

Having  secured  the  approbation  of  his  superior  and  the 
authorization  of  the  governor  of  Chile  and  of  the  viceroy 
of  Pern  for  his  great  undertaking,  Mascardi  started  with- 
out delay  for  Lake  Nahuelliuapi,  on  the  shore  of  which 
he  established  a mission  for  the  Indians.  This  was  to  be 
the  base  of  operations  in  his  search  for  the  City  of  the 

humeando,  y con  la  mezcla  de  los  indios  estaran  tan  barbaros  como  ellos.  ’ ’ 
‘ ‘ Historia  General  de  el  Reyno  de  Chile,  ’ ’ Tom.  I,  Lib.  I,  Cap.  XVII,  Val- 
paraiso, 1877. 


357 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Caesars.  From  this  point  it  probably  was  that  be  dis- 
patched by  an  Indian  courier  the  polyglot  letters  as  con- 
ceived by  him  and  bis  friend,  Rosales.  They  were  written 
in  no  fewer  than  seven  languages — Latin,  Spanish,  Italian, 
Greek,  Chilean,  Puelche  and  Poya.  He  felt  sure  that  the 
lost  Christians  whom  be  so  eagerly  sought  would  under- 
stand at  least  one  of  these  tongues,  in  case  they  bad  for- 
gotten that  of  their  forefathers.1 

While  waiting  for  an  answer  to  his  letter  to  the  people 
of  the  Enchanted  City,  Mascardi  received  information  from 
certain  Indians  which  led  him  to  believe  that  the  Caesars, 
instead  of  living  south  of  Nahuelhuapi,  had  their  home 
somewhere  on  the  Atlantic  Coast.  Following  the  indica- 
tions thus  furnished  him,  he  crossed  the  continent  and  even- 
tually found  himself  near  the  present  Port  St.  Julian,  in 
southeastern  Patagonia.  But  nowhere  on  his  long  and  try- 
ing journey  across  the  continent  did  he  find  the  slightest 
trace  of  the  mysterious  Caesars.  This,  however,  did  not  con- 
vince him  of  their  nonexistence.  Relying  on  other  Indian 
tales,  he  was  ready,  after  making  three  long  journeys  in 
quest  of  the  ever-vanishing  will-o’-the-wisp,  to  undertake 
a fourth,  which  he  was  sure  would  give  him  a solution  of 
the  problem  on  which  he  had  so  long  labored.  He  started 
again  towards  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  but  when  he  had 
nearly  reached  his  goal,  as  he  fondly  imagined,  he  met, 
according  to  Olivares,  a cruel  death  at  the  hands  of  ruth- 
less savages,  in  1673. 

1 This  was  only  the  first  of  many  letters  that  were  afterwards  addressed  to 
the  Caesars  not  only  by  Mascardi  but  also  by  the  organizers  and  leaders  of 
subsequent  expeditions.  More  than  a century  after  Mascardi ’s  time — in  1793 — 
another  ardent  Cesarista,  Jose  de  Moraleda,  was  the  bearer,  by  the  order  of  the 
governor  of  Cliiloe,  of  a special  sealed  letter  with  the  superscription:  Por  el 
rei  a los  senores  espanoles  establecidos  al  sur  de  la  laguna  de  Nahuelhuapi — 
For  the  King,  to  the  Spaniards  established  at  the  south  of  Lake  Nahuelhuapi. 
Moraleda,  ‘ ‘ Esploraciones  Jeograficas  y Hidrograficas,  ” p.  389,  Santiago,  1888. 

For  an  interesting  account  of  Padre  Mascardi ’s  numerous  attempts  to 
discover  the  City  of  the  Caesars  the  reader  is  referred  to  Sr.  Amunategue’s 
“Question  de  Limites, “ Tom.  Ill,  p.  76  et  seq. 

358 


MYTHS  AND  MARVELS 


Nearly  a century  and  a quarter  liad  elapsed  after  the 
death  of  Mascardi,  but  the  belief  in  the  existence  of  the 
Caesars  was  still  so  strong  that  the  viceroy  of  Peru,  Fran- 
cisco Gil  y Lemus,  did  not  hesitate  to  send  the  Franciscan 
explorer,  Friar  Menendez,  on  an  expedition  to  Lake  Naliuel- 
liuapi,  whose  object,  as  had  been  that  of  so  many  previous 
expeditions  from  the  time  of  the  conquest,  was  the  discov- 
ery of  the  City  of  the  Caesars,  which  the  viceroy  was  led 
to  believe  was  not  far  from  this  famous  body  of  water 
at  the  eastern  foot  of  the  sierra. 

But  Menendez  was  the  last  explorer  to  receive  a com- 
mission to  search  for  the  Caesars.  Thenceforward  their  ex- 
istence was  definitely  recognized  by  those  in  authority  as 
a fiction  and  all  attempts  at  their  discovery  were  forever 
abandoned.  The  Caesars,  after  having  preoccupied  the 
minds  of  Spain  and  her  colonies  for  two  and  a half  cen- 
turies, were  finally  recognized  as  a ridiculous  invention, 
whose  origin  was  as  incomprehensible  as  their  character 
was  extravagant.  But,  strange  as  it  may  appear,  Charles 
III,  who  died  in  1788,  was  until  the  day  of  his  death  a firm 
believer  in  La  Ciudad  Encantada.  He  was  referred  to  as 
“El  hijo  de  los  Cesar es  de  Espaha  y el  ultimo  que  de-jo  de 
creer  en  los  Cesares  de  Chile” — The  son  of  the  Caesars  of 
Spain  and  the  last  one  who  ceased  to  believe  in  the  Caesars 
of  Chile. 

But,  although  the  Caesars  were  completely  discredited 
after  the  expeditions  of  Menendez  in  so  far  as  the  govern- 
ment officials  of  Spain  and  her  colonies  were  concerned, 
the  common  people  of  Chile  and  Argentina  did  not  lose 
faith  in  them.  But  opinion  differed  as  to  the  location  of 
the  Enchanted  City.  Some  averred  that  the  old  mission 
of  Nahuelhuapi  was  a suburb  of  the  capital  of  the  Caesars. 
Others  declared  that  the  mysterious  city  was  situated  on 
an  island  in  Lake  Pueyliue,  a short  distance  to  the  north 
of  Todos  los  Santos.  The  streams  of  lava  and  volcanic 
sand  which  we  saw  at  the  foot  of  the  volcano  of  Osorno 

359 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


are  even  today  considered  by  some  of  the  neighboring  in- 
habitants as  roads  which  were  built  by  the  Caesars,  and 
the  thundering  noise  made  by  the  rush  of  avalanches — 
Byron’s  “thunderbolts  of  ice  and  snow”- — down  the  sides 
of  Tronador  are  regarded  by  them  as  the  reports  of  their 
artillery.1 

As  we  read  of  these  countless  expeditions  of  the  Span- 
iards in  pursuit  of  a phantom,  we  are  inclined  to  regard 
them  as  a nation  of  fantastic  adventurers  of  the  type  of 
Don  Quixote.  But  we  forget  that  they  were  confronted 
with  a world  of  marvels,  where  nothing  was  considered 
impossible.  The  reports  which  had  reached  them  concern- 
ing the  Enchanted  City  of  the  Caesars  seemed  to  them  more 
reliable  than  were  those  which  led  Columbus  to  the  discov- 
ery of  the  New  World.  In  that  age  of  illusions  in  which 
many  things  which  had  been  realized  which  before  had 
been  deemed  impossible,  the  unbridled  imagination  wan- 
dered in  an  interminable  region  of  chimeras;  and,  in  the 
midst  of  privations  and  dangers,  men  sustained  themselves 
on  that  which  most  harmonized  with  their  ideas,  or  most 
flattered  their  hopes.  The  unexpected  spectacle  of  the 
vast  treasures  found  in  the  temples  and  palaces  of  the 
Incas  inflamed  the  desires  and  perverted  the  judgment  of 
these  lucky  adventurers,  who,  not  content  with  the  rich 
fruits  of  their  victories,  promised  themselves  to  multiply 
them  by  extending  the  sphere  of  their  conquests. 

“There  are,”  observes  Pedro  de  Angelis,  “epochs  in 
which  the  reason  is  bewildered  by  the  contemplation  of  new 
and  unusual  objects.  And  even  the  most  clear-sighted  man, 
when  exposed  to  a continuous  series  of  violent  impressions, 
ceases  to  analyze  them  and  descends  to  the  level  of  com- 
mon intelligences  which  exaggerate  and  marvel  at  every- 
thing. To  comply  with  the  precept  of  the  sage,  nil  admirari, 
one  must  be  in  the  full  exercise  of  his  faculties  and  have 
acquired  a certain  dominion  over  his  senses  which  are  al- 

1Ponck,  op.  cit.,  Tom.  II,  pp.  438,  439. 

360 


MYTHS  AND  MARVELS 


ways  prone  to  bewitch  and  deceive  him.  How  far  were 
the  Conquistadores  of  America  from  this  state  of  intel- 
lectual calm?  For  them  everything  was  matter  for  sur- 
prise. The  spectacle  of  a new  world,  new  peoples,  new 
customs,  and,  more  than  all  else,  those  inexhaustible  foun- 
tains of  riches  which  gushed  forth  everywhere  with  greater 
rapidity  than  their  desire  to  possess  them,  maintained  men 
in  a sweet  and  perpetual  ecstasy.  Without  taking  opium, 
like  the  Mussulmans,  they  experienced  the  same  sensations 
from  which  they  could  not  free  themselves  without  great 
effort.”  1 * * * 

If  it  is  urged  that  most  of  the  Cesarists  were  the  dupes 
of  lying  Indians,  whose  tales  respecting  the  Caisars  should 
never  have  been  given  the  slightest  credence,  we  must  re- 
member that  it  was  the  assertion  of  an  Indian  which  en- 
abled Balboa  to  make  his  epochal  discover}7  of  the  great 
South  Sea.  It  was  an  Indian  who  told  Pizarro  of  the  vast 
nation  of  the  Incas  and  of  the  fabulous  treasures  of  Cuzco. 
It  was  information  furnished  by  Indians,  respecting  the 
wealth  of  the  Aztecs  and  the  Muiscas,  that  guided  Cortes 
to  the  rich  capital  of  Montezuma,  and  Quesada  to  the  opu- 
lent plateau  of  Cundinamarca. 

It  is  true  that  the  lust  of  gold  often  made  them  the  dupes 
of  the  Indians  who,  in  order  to  get  rid  of  their  unwelcome 
guests,  regaled  them  with  stories  of  powerful  cities  and 
exhaustless  supplies  of  the  precious  metals  in  the  depths 
of  the  tropical  forests  and  in  lands  far  distant  from  their 
own.  It  was  thus  that  they  sent  the  Spaniards  on  a wild- 
goose  chase  after  the  Gran  Quivira,  a flourishing  empire  in 
New  Mexico,  which,  it  was  averred,  had  been  established 
there  by  one  of  the  heirs  of  Montezuma.  It  was  thus  that 
they  started  hosts  of  adventurers  in  search  of  the  Gran 

1“Colleccion  de  Obras  y Documentos  Relativos  a la  Historia  Antigua  y 

Moderna  de  las  Provincias  del  Rio  de  la  Plata.”  In  his  “Diseurso  Pre- 

liminar  a las  Noticias  y Derroteros  de  la  Ciudad  de  los  Cesares,  ” Tom.  I,  p.  v, 

Buenos  Aires,  1836. 


361 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Paytiti,  somewhere  between  Peru  and  Brazil,  where  it  was 
said  the  Incas,  with  a large  number  of  followers  and  untold 
treasures,  had  fled  after  the  conquest  of  Cuzco  by  Pizarro. 
It  was  thus,  too,  that  they  were  able  to  trick  the  most 
distinguished  of  the  Conquistadores  into  organizing  expe- 
dition after  expedition  to  scour  the  whole  continent  from 
the  Pacific  to  the  Atlantic  and  from  the  Amazon  to  the 
Caribbean  in  search  of  the  mythical  El  Dorado.  This  illu- 
sory being  of  fancy  was  at  first  declared  by  the  Indians 
to  be  a gilded  man,  but  in  the  course  of  years  was,  in  the 
imagination  of  the  eager  and  credulous  Spaniards,  trans- 
formed into  a city  and  then  into  a country  whose  treasures 
of  gold  were  beyond  the  dreams  of  Oriental  fable. 

But  the  labors  of  the  expeditions  which  went  in  search 
of  such  ignes  fatui  as  El  Dorado  and  the  Enchanted  City 
of  the  Caesars  were  not  in  vain.  Thanks  to  them,  the  whole 
of  Spanish  America,  from  the  Strait  of  Magellan  to  the 
Grand  Canon  of  the  Colorado,  was  thoroughly  explored 
almost  two  centuries  before  Lewis  and  Clark  made  their 
memorable  journey  from  the  Mississippi  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Colombia,  and  more  than  two  centuries  before  the  veil 
of  mystery  was  lifted  from  that  portion  of  our  country 
which  was  so  long  known  as  the  Great  American  Desert. 
Of  the  journeys  of  Mascardi,  who  traversed  Patagonia  in 
every  direction  in  quest  of  the  Caesars,  the  Chilean  histo- 
rian, Barros  Arana,  declares  ‘‘they  exhibit  something  of 
the  prodigious.”  Full  two  hundred  years  elapsed  before 
the  intrepid  English  explorer,  George  C.  Musters,  followed 
the  indefatigable  missionary  whose  footprints  had  long 
been  effaced  by  the  winds  of  the  desert. 

Some  writers  love  to  dwell  on  a fancied  analogy  between 
the  knights  errant  of  the  Middle  Ages,  who  sought  a miracu- 
lous jewel  in  a mystical  castle,  and  the  Spanish  adventurers 
of  the  New  World,  who  were  fascinated  by  the  lure  of  El 
Dorado  and  La  Ciudad  Encantada.  Francisco  Fonck  1 sees 

*Op.  cit.,  Tom.  II,  p.  497. 


362 


MYTHS  AND  MARVELS 


a more  striking  analogy  between  the  Holy  Grail  and  the 
Enchanted  City.  To  him  the  City  of  the  Caesars  is  the 
American  correlative  of  the  Castle  of  Monsalvat,  and  the 
famous  Sebastian  de  Arguello  is  another  Parsifal  who  gov- 
erns his  kingdom  with  paternal  solicitude  and,  like  the  sub- 
lime creation  of  Clirestien  de  Troyes  and  "Wolf  ran  von 
Eschenbach,  symbolizes  Christian  and  chivalrous  virtues 
such  as  were  so  assiduously  cultivated  during  the  Ages 
of  Faith. 

B.  Vicuna  Mackenna,  in  concluding  his  interesting  study 
on  La  Ciudad  Encantada  de  los  Cesares,1  declares  with 
truth  that  the  whole  subject  is  more  appropriate  for  “a 
drama  of  palpitating  emotion  than  for  sober  history.” 
Since  the  distinguished  Chilean  litterateur  made  this  state- 
ment, the  romantic  episode  of  the  Caesars  has  been  drama- 
tized by  Don  Jorge  Klinckman  in  his  notable  production, 
La  Ciudad  Encantada  de  Chile.  His  manner  of  treatment 
is  conclusive  evidence,  if  any  were  needed,  that  no  theme 
furnishes  a better  motif  for  any  work  of  the  imagination, 
be  it  epic,  romance  or  opera. 

As  we  fared  on  our  way  from  Puerto  Varas  to  Bariloche, 
ravished  by  the  gorgeous  scenes  which  were  everywhere 
presented  to  our  delighted  vision  by  lake,  forest  and  moun- 
tain, and  recalled  the  countless  legends  woven  around  these 
picturesque  spots  and  felt  the  glamour  which  was  cast  over 
everything  by  fantastic  Caesarist  and  adventurous  Con- 
quistador, I yearned  for  the  “vision  and  faculty  divine” 
of  some  consummate  word-artist  that  I might  give  adequate 
expression  to  the  sensations  and  impressions  which  I then 
experienced.  Nowhere  in  South  America  is  there  a more 
promising  field  for  poet,  painter  or  romancist,  than  is  that 
which  it  was  our  privilege  to  survey  during  our  rapturous 
journey  from  Chile  to  Patagonia.  The  scenery,  the  atmos- 
phere, the  storied  past  make  a special  appeal  to  their  love 
of  nature  and  legendary  lore.  If  such  literary  craftsmen 

JIn  “Relaciones  Historicas,  ” p.  80,  ut  sup. 

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THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


as  Robert  Hicliens  and  Pierre  Loti  could  be  induced  to 
visit  this  enchanting  and  romantic  region  they  would,  I 
am  sure,  find  their  imaginations  stirred  quite  as  strongly 
as  they  ’were  when  under  the  spell  of  the  Nile  and  the 
Bosphorus.  For,  as  I felt  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  and  feel 
now  when  recalling  my  first  impressions,  there  are  few,  if 
any  regions  on  the  globe  which  exhibit  within  so  small 
compass  more  of  the  beautiful  and  sublime  in  nature  than 
does  that  marvelous  stretch  of  country  which  is  transmuted 
and  glorified  by  the  roseate  glow  of  the  morning  and  the 
evening  sun  on  the  silver  crowns  of  Osorno  and  Tronador. 


CHAPTER  XVI 


MOTORING  IN  PATAGONIA 

The  snow-crowned  summits  of  Pilatus  and  El  Tronador 
were  gleaming  under  tlie  fires  of  the  setting  sun  as  our 
small  craft  crept  slowly  towards  the  small  landing-place 
of  Bariloclie.  Our  journey  over  the  enchanting  Cordillera 
had  been  a succession  of  delights  and  raptures.  The 
weather  was  ideal,  and  on  the  unruffled  surface  of  Lago 
Frio  and  Lake  Naliuelhuapi  were  gathered  all  the  marvels 
of  color  of  all  the  southern  seas. 

All  this  was  a most  agreeable  surprise  to  us.  For, 
before  leaving  Santiago,  we  had  been  told  to  prepare  for 
heavy  rains  on  the  mountains  and  squally  weather  on  the 
lakes.  We  were  also  warned  to  travel  light  and  to  be  pre- 
pared to  spend  the  night  a la  belle  etoile.  “You  cannot,” 
we  were  told,  “be  always  sure  of  finding  shelter  in  a land 
that  is  almost  uninhabited  and  where  rainstorms  are  so 
frequent  and  so  prolonged  as  they  are  in  the  country  you 
are  about  to  traverse.”  The  early  missionaries  had  de- 
scribed the  region  we  were  to  visit  as  subject  to  down- 
pours for  weeks  without  cessation  and  the  lakes,  at  times, 
as  almost  impassable  because  of  the  terrific  temporales  and 
borrascas — storms  and  tempests — which  are  there  of  such 
frequent  occurrence. 

As  we  were  congratulating  ourselves  on  our  good 
fortune  during  the  first  part  of  our  journey  across  the  con- 
tinent and  wondering  whether  we  should  be  equally  fa- 
vored during  the  rest  of  it,  conversation  was  suddenly  ar- 
rested by  the  music  of  a brass  band  on  the  landing-place, 
a short  distance  in  front  of  us.  All  the  inhabitants,  young 

365 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


and  old,  of  tlie  surrounding  country  had  come  to  greet 
us,  and  this  they  did  in  the  most  kindly  manner  possible. 
There  was  the  usual  address  of  welcome  by  the  official  rep- 
resentative of  Bariloche  and  the  usual  response  by  the 
spokesman  of  our  party.  We  were  then  escorted  to  a 
modest  inn,  where  special  arrangements  had  been  made 
for  our  comfort  and  entertainment. 

I was  not  long  in  this  unpretentious  hostelry  until  I 
met  a charming  gentleman  from  sunny  Italy,  who  invited 
me  td  take  a walk  through  the  town.  I gladly  accepted 
his  invitation,  as  it  gave  me  an  opportunity  to  see  the 
people  of  this  frontier  pueblo.  Although  but  recently 
founded,  it  now  numbers  nearly  twelve  hundred  inhab- 
itants. Most  of  the  buildings  are  small  frame  structures, 
not  unlike  those  of  Puerto  Varas.  Among  those  we  met 
during  our  promenade  was  a young  Irish  stockman,  whose 
hacienda  was  near  the  road  which  we  were  to  take  on  our 
way  to  Neuquen.  He  had  come  to  ask  us  to  be  his  guests 
at  luncheon  the  following  day.  Our  plans,  much  to  our 
regret,  made  it  impossible  to  accept  the  hospitality  of  this 
warm-hearted  son  of  Erin.  Like  others  of  his  countrymen, 
he  had  but  a few  years  previously  come  to  this  far-western 
border  of  Argentina  and,  according  to  his  friends,  had 
been  favored  by  fortune  in  a special  manner.  He  was  a 
worthy  type  of  the  ubiquitous  Irishman  whose  brilliant 
achievements  in  Argentina  and  Chile  are  an  honor  to  his 
race  as  well  as  to  the  country  of  his  adoption. 

After  a hasty  view  of  the  town,  my  Italian  companion 
graciously  invited  me  to  his  home.  It  proved  to  be  the 
coziest  and  most  beautiful  house  in  the  place.  It  was  not 
unlike  a Swiss  chalet  and  was  located  on  an  eminence  from 
which  one  had  a splendid  view  of  the  lake  and  the  adjoin- 
ing country.  Surrounded  by  fruit  and  shade  trees  and 
flanked  by  vegetable  and  flower  gardens,  it  was,  indeed,  a 
most  attractive  abode.  As  I was  entering  the  house,  I was 
surprised  to  find  myself  surrounded  by  a number  of  light- 

366 


MOTORING  IN  PATAGONIA 


haired,  blue-eyed,  rosy-clieeked  boys  and  girls,  whom  the 
swarthy  Italian  introduced  to  me  as  his  children.  Their 
features  were  so  un-Italian  that  I was  at  first  quite  puzzled 
by  what  I saw.  But  it  was  only  for  a moment,  for  when 
the  mother  appeared  the  mystery  was  cleared  up  at  once. 
She  was  a light-haired,  blue-eyed  woman  from  Bavaria,  who 
cordially  greeted  me  in  German.  The  husband,  who  was 
from  the  province  of  Venice,  spoke  German  fluently,  but 
the  wife  spoke  Italian  only  with  difficulty.  The  older  chil- 
dren chattered  away  not  only  in  the  two  languages  of 
their  parents,  hut  also  in  Spanish,  which  was  the  tongue 
of  their  companions  and  school-fellows.  Everything  in  and 
about  the  house  bore  the  impress  of  the  careful  housewife, 
from  the  tidily  dressed  children  to  the  trellised  rose-bushes 
that  adorned  the  spacious  front  porch  which  overlooked 
beautiful,  mountain-girt  Nahuelhuapi  whose  tranquil  sur- 
face, under  the  beams  of  the  setting  sun,  was  like  an  im- 
mense reservoir  of  molten  gold.  Rarely  have  I seen  any- 
where a happier  family  than  this  one  with  which  I was  thus 
unexpectedly  brought  into  contact  on  the  outskirts  of  civili- 
zation. And  nowhere  have  I ever  seen  parents  more 
devoted  to  their  children  than  were  that  Italian  father 
and  German  mother,  whose  home  nestled  at  the  foothills 
of  the  southern  Cordillera. 

As  we  sat  on  the  flower-decked  porch,  talking  of  the 
lands  of  Dante  and  Goethe,  I was  reminded  that  we  were 
on  historic  ground.  For  it  was  from  this  spot,  or  from 
one  hard  by,  that  Diego  Flores  de  Leon  and  Mascardi 
started  southwards  in  their  quest  of  the  Enchanted  City 
of  the  Caesars.  On  our  right,  a short  distance  towards  the 
east,  was  the  Rio  Limai,  which  carries  the  waters  of  Lake 
Nahuelhuapi  to  the  great  Rio  Negro,  which  in  turn  delivers 
them  to  the  far-off  Atlantic.  Both  of  these  rivers  have 
been  made  famous  by  the  achievements  of  early  and  mod- 
ern explorers.  Among  them  was  our  accomplished  travel- 
ing companion,  Dr.  Moreno,  who  loves  to  tell  of  his  adven- 

367 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


tures  in  this  part  of  the  world  during  the  last  quarter  of 
the  nineteenth  century.  A few  years  hence,  if  the  dreams 
of  the  enthusiastic  denizens  of  Bariloche  are  realized, 
these  two  fertile  valleys  will  be  traversed  by  the  iron  horse 
on  its  way  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  crossing  the 
Andes  by  the  route  used  by  the  missionaries  nearly  three 
centuries  ago.  When  that  day  shall  arrive,  Bariloche,  we 
were  assured,  will  become  an  important  commercial  cen- 
ter, as  well  as  a resort  for  tourists  on  their  way  from 
Buenos  Aires  to  Santiago. 

The  region  between  Bariloche  and  the  Chilean  frontier 
has  already  been  designated  by  the  Argentine  government 
as  a national  park,  and  there  is  every  reason  to  believe 
that  the  area  between  the  Chilean  boundary  and  Puerto 
Varas  will  ultimately  be  set  aside  for  a similar  purpose. 
The  people  of  the  two  republics  will  then  have  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  national  parks  in  the  world,  and  all 
travelers  to  South  America’s  Southland,  who  have  leisure 
and  means,  will  wish  to  cross  the  continent  by  what 
will  then  be  recognized  as  the  chief  scenic  route  across  the 
Andes.  The  people  of  Chile  and  Argentina  love  to  call 
this  park  region  “The  Switzerland  of  South  America,” 
and  no  one  who  has  visited  this  part  of  the  continent  would 
regard  their  view  as  exaggerated.1 

1 The  hopes  and  ambitions  of  the  people  of  Bariloche  regarding  the  future 
of  their  charming  little  town  are  well  indicated  in  a recent  work  entitled 
“Modern  Patagonia,”  issued  by  the  Argentina  Ministry  of  Public  Works,  in 
which  we  read  “As  Nahuelhuapi  compares  with  Lake  Lucerne  so  may  Bari- 
loehe  compare  with  the  city  of  Lucerne  as  a tourist  resort.”  P.  416. 

More  than  this.  The  government  of  Argentina  has  already  made  plans 
for  a city  of  a hundred  thousand  inhabitants,  which  is  to  be  located  on  Lake 
Nahuelhuapi,  a few  miles  to  the  northeast  of  Bariloche.  According  to  its  pro- 
jectors, this  city  of  the  future  is  to  be  reached  by  the  new  transcontinental 
railroad,  already  begun,  which  is  to  connect  San  Antonio  on  the  Atlantic  with 
Valdivia  on  the  Pacific.  It  is,  if  present  plans  be  realized,  to  be  made  a great 
industrial  center  and  to  take  its  place,  a few  decades  hence,  among  the  great 
cities  of  the  Republic.  Nahuelhuapi  City,  as  this  new  metropolis  is  already 
named,  will  certainly  not  be  without  attractions.  It  will  be  “situated  at  the 
entrance  to  the  national  park,  in  a region  of  delightful  summer  climate,”  and 

368 


Bariloche  and  Lake  Nahuelhuapi. 


. j 


Transporting  Merchandise  in  Patagonia. 


MOTORING  IN  PATAGONIA 


On  the  opposite  shore  of  the  lake,  almost  directly  west 
of  the  outlet  of  Rio  Limai,  is  probably  the  most  notable  spot 
in  this  land  of  fascinating1  legends  and  sublime  achieve- 
ments. For  here  was  located  the  mission  which  was  for 
nearly  half  a century  the  center  of  so  many  noble  deeds 
and  heroic  sacrifices.  It  was  here  that  the  accomplished 
Sardinian  missionary,  Padre  Guillelmo,  devoted  his  leisure 
time  to  the  preparation  of  books  on  the  languages  of  the 
Puelches  and  the  Poyas — the  Indian  tribes  which  he  made 
such  strenuous  efforts  to  civilize  and  evangelize.  In  this 
important  work  he  was  emulated  by  his  zealous  disciple 
and  associate,  Padre  Gaspar  Lopez.  But  besides  the  more 
serious  work  of  the  mission,  these  scholarly  ministers  of 
the  Gospel  continued  to  find  time  for  the  cultivation  of 
letters.  Padre  Guillelmo,  in  particular,  was  the  author  of 
a number  of  works  in  prose  and  verse,  but  these,  unfortu- 
nately, were  destroyed  by  the  fire,  said  to  have  been  started 
by  the  treacherous  Puelches,  which  left  the  mission  in  ashes. 

One  is  surprised  to  find  that  a nascent  literary  center 
existed  in  this  isolated  and  unknown  spot  of  Patagonia 
where  everything — the  enmity  of  ruthless  savages  and  the 
rigors  of  untoward  nature — seemed  to  conspire  against 
not  only  the  cultivation  of  the  Muses,  but  also  against  any 
successful  attempt  at  the  development  of  even  the  simplest 
elements  of  culture.  But  the  intellectual  work  begun  here 
under  such  unfavorable  auspices  was  no  more  remarkable 
than  similar  achievements  in  other  parts  of  Spanish  Amer- 
ica. For  wherever  the  flag  of  Castile  was  unfurled — from 
California  to  the  Straits  of  Magellan — there  was  the  mis- 

should,  therefore,  so  we  are  assured,  “become  not  only  a center  of  manufac- 
ture and  traffic  but  also  an  attractive  resort  for  tourists.”  Ibid.,  p.  206. 

There  can  be  little  doubt,  once  the  San  Antonio  and  Nahuelhuapi  Railway 
will  have  been  completed,  that  the  park  region  between  Bariloche  and  Puerto 
Varas  will  become  the  most  popular  tourist  resort  in  South  America.  It  will 
be  within  easy  reach  of  most  of  the  continent  south  of  the  tropic  of  Capricorn 
and,  besides  offering  most  of  the  scenic  attractions  of  Colorado,  of  the  Yosem- 
ite  and  the  Yellowstone  parks,  will  also  exhibit  numerous  other  interesting 
features  which  our  famous  western  resorts  do  not  possess. 

369 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


sionary  occupied  not  only  in  making-  known  the  truths  of 
the  Gospel  to  the  untutored  aborigines,  hut  also  in  writing 
the  histories  of  the  tribes  which  they  evangelized  and  in 
describing  the  marvels  of  Nature  which  everywhere  sur- 
rounded them. 

After  the  Conquistadores  of  the  sword  had  completed 
their  vast  undertaking  of  annexing  a new  world  to  the 
already  powerful  dominion  of  the  Spanish  monarch,  it  was 
the  Conquistadores  of  the  Cross  who  set  forth  to  win  to 
the  Church  the  newly-made  subjects  of  the  Crown  of  Cas- 
tile. With  an  intrepidity  which  commanded  the  admiration 
of  the  world,  they  penetrated  into  the  depths  of  the  track- 
less wilderness,  seeking  the  children  of  the  forest  and  bear- 
ing to  them  the  teachings  of  the  Master.  In  accomplishing 
their  mission  of  charity,  there  was  not  a nook  or  corner 
of  the  continent  which  they  did  not  explore.  From  the 
Grand  Canon  of  the  Colorado  to  Tierra  del  Fuego,  every- 
thing was  an  open  book  to  them.  The  geography  and  eth- 
nography of  this  vast  territory,  with  its  untold  riches  and 
exuberant  flora,  were  better  known  to  them  than  to  the 
Spanish  government.  As  for  the  rest  of  the  world,  it  knew 
next  to  nothing  respecting  Spain’s  colonial  possessions  in 
America,  for  the  simple  reason  that  all,  except  Spanish 
subjects,  were  barred  admittance  to  these  jealously  guarded 
territories.  It  was  only  when  the  learned  works  of  the 
missionaries  began  to  issue  from  the  presses  of  Europe 
that  the  veil  of  mystery  which  had  so  long  hung  over  the 
greater  part  of  the  New  World  was  finally  lifted.  Then, 
for  the  first  time,  was  it  possible  to  have  anything  like  re- 
liable information  respecting  the  geography,  the  fauna  and 
the  flora  of  the  Spanish  colonies,  or  exact  knowledge  re- 
specting the  languages,  manners  and  customs  of  their 
countless  and  diverse  tribes.1 

1 For  further  information  respecting  this  interesting  topic  see  the  chapter 
on  “The  Battlegrounds  and  the  Achievements  of  the  Conquistadores  of  the 
Cross,”  in  the  author’s  “Along  the  Andes  and  Down  the  Amazon.” 

370 


MOTORING  IN  PATAGONIA 


But,  although  many  of  the  works  of  these  scholarly 
soldiers  of  the  cross  were  published  shortly  after  they  were 
written,  a very  large  number  of  them  were  allowed  to 
remain  in  manuscript  for  centuries.  Thus  the  great  “His- 
toria  de  las  Indias,”  of  Las  Casas,  was  not  given  to  the 
press  until  more  than  three  centuries  after  it  had  left  the 
hands  of  its  immortal  author.  In  a similar  manner  the 
manuscript  of  the  important  “Historia  General  de  el  Reyno 
de  Chile,”  by  Padre  Rosales,  did  not  find  a publisher  until 
more  than  two  centuries  after  it  was  penned  by  the  in- 
defatigable missionary.  We  have  seen  that  the  “Diarios” 
of  Friar  Menendez  were  so  completely  lost  sight  of  for  more 
than  a century  that  the  noted  explorer,  Francisco  Fonck, 
who  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  the  eminent  Franciscan, 
and  who  eventually  became  the  commentator  of  these  pre- 
cious documents,  was,  during  the  time  of  his  explorations, 
entirely  unaware  of  their  existence.  How  much  more  light 
will  eventually  be  thrown  on  Spanish  America  during 
colonial  times  when  the  manuscripts  which  are  still  lying 
in  the  dust-laden  archives  of  Europe  and  America  will 
have  given  to  the  world  through  the  agency  of  the  press  it 
is  impossible  even  to  divine.  Judging  by  the  immense  num- 
ber of  volumes  which  have  been  published  for  the  first 
time  during  the  last  few  decades,  the  amount  will  be  very 
great  indeed.  And  we  shall  then  find,  as  in  the  case  of 
the  Nahuelhuapi  region,  that  many  parts  of  South  America, 
which  are  now  thought  to  have  been  traversed  for  the  first 
time  by  modern  explorers,  were  in  reality  familiar  to  and 
fully  described  by  learned  missionaries  two  or  three  cen- 
turies ago. 

The  work  achieved  by  Padre  Guillelmo  in  the  little 
thatched  hut  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Nahuelhuapi  was  but 
in  keeping  with  that  accomplished  by  early  missionaries 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  Spanish  America. 
Similar  work  under  like  trying  conditions  was  performed 
by  Padre  Rivero  on  the  Casanare  and  the  Meta,  by  Padre 

371 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Sobreviela  on  the  Ucayli,  and  by  Padre  Falkner  in  Pata- 
gonia. The  book  on  Patagonia,  by  the  last-named  mission- 
ary, is  declared  by  such  an  authority  as  Senor  Fonck  to 
be  “a  veritable  treasure.”  “Few  new  countries,”  con- 
tinues this  distinguished  author  and  explorer,  “can  glory, 
like  Patagonia,  in  possessing  a fundamental  work  of  such 
merit  on  their  primitive  condition.  The  memory  of  the 
learned  English  missionary  will  remain  engraved  with 
indelible  letters  in  the  history  of  South  America’s  South- 
land. ’ ’ 1 

To  realize  fully  our  obligations  to  the  early  missionary 
explorers,  we  must  not  lose  sight  of  the  difficulties  under 
which  they  were  obliged  to  labor.  Besides  traversing  lands 
which  were  absolutely  unknown  and  pushing  their  way 
through  dense  forests  where  their  lives  might,  at  any  mo- 
ment, be  cut  short  by  the  poisoned  arrow  of  a concealed 
savage,  they  had  frequently  to  suffer  from  lack  of  shelter 
and  from  the  almost  total  want  of  provisions.  Thus,  for 
weeks  at  a time,  Menendez  and  his  companions  were  forced 
to  subsist  on  commeal  and  water  and  to  continue  their 
marches  through  swamps  and  over  mountains  with  little 
or  no  cover  during  the  rainstorms  which  frequently  lasted 
weeks  at  a time.  How  different  is  it  with  our  modern 
explorers  who  are  so  abundantly  provided  with  all  kinds 
of  canned  goods,  with  water-proof  garments,  and  sleeping- 
bags,  portable  canvas  boats,  and  specially  devised  tents 
which  insure  protection  from  rain  and  the  insect  pests  of  the 
tropics ! With  all  the  marvels  of  equipment  now  available, 
the  undertakings  of  present-day  explorers  are  as  picnics 
in  comparison  with  those  of  their  predecessors  of  two  or 
three  centuries  ago. 

The  dinner  which  was  given  by  our  hosts  on  the  even- 

1 Op.  cit.,  p.  120.  The  reader  who  is  interested  in  the  explorations  of 
Father  Falkner,  will  read  with  profit  his  work  entitled  “A  Description  of 
Patagonia  and  the  Adjoining  Parts  of  South  America,”  Hereford,  1774,  and 
‘‘Thomas  Falkner ’s  Nachrieht  von  der  Moluchisen  Sprache, ” by  Julius  Platz- 
mann,  Leipsic,  1899. 


372 


MOTORING  IN  PATAGONIA 


ing  of  our  arrival  at  Bariloche  was  in  many  respects  quite 
a remarkable  affair.  All  the  notables  of  the  town  were 
invited,  and  they  were  fairly  representative  of  the  type 
of  pioneers  who  are  flocking  from  all  parts  of  the  world  to 
this  distant  borderland  of  Argentina.  And  the  gathering 
was  a most  cordial  one,  and  as  interesting  as  it  was  cordial. 
The  conversation  soon  became  quite  animated,  and,  to  our 
surprise,  as  if  by  common  consent,  it  turned  on  literature 
— about  the  last  topic  one  would  expect  to  be  discussed  in 
a young  frontier  town  on  the  confines  of  civilization.  My 
Italian  friend,  with  the  Bavarian  wife  and  fair-haired  chil- 
dren, waxed  eloquent  on  Dante,  and  recited  several  pas- 
sages from  the  “Divina  Commedia”  with  stirring  effect. 
A neighbor  of  his,  a graduate  of  a German  university,  was 
equally  eloquent  on  Goethe  and  Schiller.  In  the  course  of 
his  remarks  he  gave  a quotation  in  Greek,  from  the  Iliad. 
This  at  once  opened  up  a spirited  conversazione  on  the 
Greek  and  Latin  classics  which  was  participated  in  by  the 
majority  of  those  present.  Quotations  from  favorite 
authors  were  numerous  and  the  fleeting  hours  passed  un- 
observed. If  a stranger  had  entered  the  room,  after  our 
discussion  had  fairly  started,  he  would  surely  have  thought 
that  he  had  come  upon  a literary  club  at  one  of  its  regular 
reunions. 

The  following  morning  we  were  all  up  and  taking  our 
coffee  before  the  break  of  dawn.  We  had  before  us  a long 
journey  of  nearly  four  hundred  miles  across  the  Patagonian 
desert  and  we  wished,  if  possible,  to  make  this  in  two 
days,  at  most.  By  five  o’clock  we  were  all  comfortably 
seated  in  three  new  Mercedes  automobiles  which  had  been 
provided  for  us  by  the  courteous  governor  of  Neuquen, 
who,  with  a couple  of  government  officials,  had  come  to 
escort  us  to  his  capital. 

It  was  a delightful  spring  morning  when  we  left 
Bariloche  and  its  hospitable  people  who  had  assembled  to 
bid  us  Godspeed  on  our  long  journey  across  the  arid  plains 

373 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


of  Patagonia.  We  were  enthusiastic  about  the  trip  before 
us,  but  the  knowing  ones  warned  us  of  probable  mishaps 
and  delays.  “Be  prepared  to  sleep  on  the  ground  and 
to  live  on  short  rations,”  said  one  of  our  party,  who  was 
familiar  with  the  country  which  we  were  to  traverse,  “for 
it  will  be  extraordinary,  if  we  reach  our  destination  on 
schedule  time.” 

For  the  first  hour  everything  went  well.  We  made  good 
time  and  we  felt  sure  that  by  nightfall  half  of  our  journey 
across  the  desert  would  be  completed.  But  just  as  we  were 
beginning  to  congratulate  ourselves  on  the  fair  weather  and 
the  speed  we  were  making,  our  rear  car  encountered  a 
marshy  spot  and  was  at  once  hopelessly  mired.  This  de- 
layed us  for  two  full  hours.  Not  long  after  our  first  acci- 
dent we  had  a similar  mischance.  We  had  counted  on  hav- 
ing desayuno  at  nine  o’clock,  but,  owing  to  these  two  unto- 
ward stops,  we  were  not  able  to  breakfast  until  two  o’clock 
in  the  afternoon.  This  delay  of  five  hours  did  not,  however, 
seem  to  inconvenience  any  of  our  party.  But  we  were  all 
glad  when  we  reached  Pilcaniyeu,  a small  rancheria,  where 
we  had  an  enjoyable  luncheon  a la  Gauclio.  The  piece  de 
resistance  consisted  of  a barbacued  sheep,  the  famous  asado 
al  asador,  which  has  long  been  a favorite  article  of  food 
with  the  people  of  the  Pampa.1  There  is  only  one  other 

1 There  .was  a time,  however,  when  the  prejudice  of  the  Gauchos  against 
mutton  was  so  great  that  they  would  not  eat  it.  There  was  then  a saying 
among  them  that  carnero  no  es  came — mutton  is  not  meat.  Even  the  beggars 
declined  it  as  food.  But  this  was  when  these  gentry,  with  their  wooden 
licenses  hanging  around  their  necks,  were  wont  to  make  their  rounds  on  horse- 
back and  ask  una  limosna  por  el  amor  de  Dios — an  alms  for  the  love  of  God. 
At  the  time  referred  to,  it  may  be  remarked,  horses  were  so  cheap  that  a good 
animal  could  be  had  for  less  than  a dollar  and  sheep  were  sold  for  three  shil- 
lings a dozen.  Sheep  were  then  killed  solely  for  the  wool  and  tallow  they 
yielded,  while  their  carcasses  were  fed  to  the  hogs,  or  used  as  fuel  for  brick- 
kilns. Cattle,  during  the  period  in  question,  were  so  abundant  that  they  were 
slaughtered  only  for  their  hides,  while  their  carcasses  were  strewn  over  the 
Pampa  as  food  for  birds  and  beasts  of  prey.  How  different  is  it  today,  when 
Argentine  beef  and  mutton  are  such  valuable  articles  of  export  and  so  eagerly 
sought  in  the  markets  of  Europe  and  the  United  States! 

374 


MOTORING  IN  PATAGONIA 


disli  which  the  Gaucho  loves  more,  and  that  is  asado  con 
cuero — beef  broiled  with  the  hide. 

We  met  a number  of  Indians  at  Pilcaniyeu  who  were 
the  representatives  of  a race  that  is  rapidly  disappearing. 
They  were  at  one  time  very  numerous  in  this  part  of  Argen- 
tina, but  since  General  Roca’s  campaign  against  them  in 
1878,  only  a few  of  them  now  remain,  and  these,  if  not 
civilized,  are  quite  harmless.  To  pay  the  expenses  of  this 
campaign,  the  government  sold  vast  tracts  of  valuable  lands 
at  the  rate  of  a few  cents  an  acre.  Most  of  it,  unfortu- 
nately, fell  into  the  hands  of  speculators  who  realized  un- 
told millions  from  their  investments.  For  much  of  the  land 
enhanced  in  value  from  ten-  to  a hundredfold  within  a few 
years.  But,  as  an  outsider  looks  at  this  transaction,  the 
whole  affair,  while  affording  temporary  relief  to  the  gov- 
ernment, involved  in  the  long  run  an  immense  loss  to  the 
Republic  at  large.  As  it  was,  a number  of  privileged  indi- 
viduals made  fortunes  at  the  expense  of  the  commonwealth. 
Had  the  government  followed  the  example  of  the  United 
States  and  divided  this  vast  territory  up  into  small  plots 
and  offered  them  as  free  homesteads  to  prospective  immi- 
grants, it  is  safe  to  say  that  Argentina  would  today  count 
among  her  population  several  millions  of  people  who  sought 
homes  in  our  own  country  and  elsewhere.  Latifundia  of 
this  kind  have  militated  as  strongly  against  the  best 
interests  of  Argentina  as  have  those  vast  landed  estates 
which  have  been  inherited  by  the  descendants  of  the 
Conquistadores. 

The  country  through  which  we  passed  during  the  first 
day  was  much  like  that  of  southern  Wyoming  or  northern 
New  Mexico.  The  land  was  slightly  undulating  and  broken 
here  and  there  by  low  hills  and  mountains.  Most  of  it 
was  covered  with  a hardy  pasto  duro  resembling  the  buffalo 
and  bunch  grasses  of  our  grazing  plains  in  the  Far  West. 
We  saw  many  herds  of  cattle  and  troops  of  horses,  and, 
notwithstanding  the  apparent  paucity  of  nourishing  pas- 

375 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


ture,  they  all  seemed  in  good  condition.  Except  along  the 
occasional  watercourses,  which  were  almost  dry  at  the  time 
of  our  visit,  the  country  was  almost  treeless.  Clumps  of 
sturdy  jarillas,  sampas  and  algarrobillas  were  visible  here 
and  there,  hut  otherwise  the  land  was  almost  bare  of  all 
forms  of  vegetation,  save  scattered  tufts  of  the  hardy  pasto 
duro.  This,  even  in  a soil  parched  by  a broiling  sun,  re- 
tained sufficient  vitality  to  support  numerous  flocks  and 
herds,  which  are  the  chief  means  of  subsistence  of  the  sparse 
population  in  this  poorly  watered  part  of  the  Republic. 

Before  leaving  Chile,  we  had  been  told  that  we  should 
find  an  abundance  of  game  on  our  way  from  Bariloche  to 
Neuquen.  We  looked  for  it,  however,  in  vain.  The  only 
things  which  our  hunters  saw  which  were  worth  shooting 
were  a small  number  of  emus,  which  quickly  got  beyond  the 
range  of  our  Nimrods  ’ rifles.  The  emus  and  the  guanacos 
were  formerly  so  numerous  that  they  supplied  the  wild 
Indians  with  a great  part  of  their  food.  But  the  guanaco, 
it  is  said,  is  rapidly  disappearing,  as  is  also  the  graceful 
vicuna,  which,  as  well  as  the  guanaco,  is  a near  relative 
of  the  llama  and  the  alpaca.  From  the  stomach  and  intes- 
tines of  the  guanaco,  as  also  from  certain  other  animals, 
the  natives  obtain  the  bezoar  stone,  which  has  long  been 
highly  prized  in  many  parts  of  the  world  as  a talisman 
and  as  an  antidote  to  poison.  I was  assured  that  it  is 
still  sold  as  a drug  in  certain  apothecary  shops  in  southern 
Chile  and  that  many  of  the  common  people  there,  as  well 
as  the  Indians,  ascribe  to  it  all  the  marvelous  properties 
which  have  been  attributed  to  it  by  the  Chinese  for  ages 
past. 

Many  writers  on  South  America  tell  us  that  the  use  of 
poisoned  arrows  is  restricted  to  a few  tribes  in  the  basins 
of  the  Orinoco  and  the  Amazon.  As  a matter  of  fact,  their 
employment  is  almost  universal  throughout  the  length  and 
the  breadth  of  the  continent.  The  Indians  of  Patagonia  have 
used  them  from  the  time  of  the  conquest,  and,  most  prob- 

376 


MOTORING  IN  PATAGONIA 


ably,  employed  them  long  before.  Similarly,  the  boleadora, 
which  is  often  spoken  of  as  a Gauclio  invention,  was  a com- 
mon weapon  among  the  Indians  of  the  Pampa  and  was 
in  general  use,  as  Argentine  archaeology  teaches,  in  early 
prehistoric  times.  It  was  with  the  boleadora,  or  bolas,  as 
Menendez  informs  us,  that  the  Puelches  and  the  Poyas 
tribes  which  inhabited  the  Naliuelhuapi  region  were  wont  to 
capture  the  emu  and  the  guanaco,  the  latter  of  which  sup- 
plied them  with  clothing  as  well  as  food.1 

We  had  hoped  to  reach  our  stopping-place  for  the  night, 
before  sunset.  But  our  long  detentions  on  the  way  made 
this  impossible.  Towards  nightfall  dark,  lowering  clouds 
and  distant  thunder  warned  of  an  approaching  storm. 
(‘Habra  una  tormenta” — there  will  be  a hurricane — ex- 
claimed our  chauffeur,  and  all  of  us  began  to  prepare  for  a 
drenching,  and  to  contemplate  the  disagreeable  probability 
of  spending  the  night  on  the  roadside,  without  food  or  shel- 
ter. But  finally,  after  ten  o’clock,  we  reached  a small  adobe 
building  which  was  a combination  of  a grocery,  a drygoods 
store  and  a country  inn.  There  the  Governor,  after  rous- 
ing the  sleeping  proprietor,  was  able  to  obtain  for  us  a very 
frugal  meal,  and  shelter  from  the  threatening  storm.  Aside 
from  a single  room  with  four  beds  in  it,  there  was  no  place 
in  which  to  sleep,  except  on  the  bare  ground  of  the  nar- 
row store.  As  there  was  not  room  enough  for  all  of  our 
party  inside  of  the  building,  without  overcrowding,  several 
of  the  younger  members  elected  to  sleep  outside.  Fortu- 

1 Menendez  has  an  interesting  paragraph  on  the  food,  clothing  and  arms 
of  the  Indians,  as  well  as  on  their  method  of  securing  game,  which  is  worthy  of 
being  reproduced  here  in  the  original : 

“Todos,  ” he  writes,  “se  mantienen  de  huanacos,  avestruces  y caballos; 
tambien  tiennen  alguna  quinoa,  trigo  y cebada;  pero  estas  semillas  no  son 
muchas,  ni  permanentes,  porque  no  cultivan  la  tierra;  sino  que  las  arrojan  en 
las  laderas  de  los  arroyos,  y lo  que  sale  lo  coge  el  primero  que  llega.  Su  ves- 
tido  es  de  pieles  de  huanacos  bien  brunido  y pintado.  Sus  armas  son  bolas 
atadas  en  las  puntas  del  lazo  que  llaman  laqui  con  el  que  cogen  los  animales. 
Usan  de  arco  y fleeha,  y algunos  tienen  punales  pequenos,  que  los  compran  a 
los  Pehuenches.  ” Op.  eit.,  p.  319. 


377 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


nately  for  them,  the  dreaded  tormenta  proved  to  he  a wind- 
storm unaccompanied  by  rain.  Colonel  Roosevelt  seemed 
to  be  glad  to  have  an  opportunity  to  renew  his  cowboy 
experiences,  and,  spreading  his  poncho  on  the  ground,  he 
stretched  himself  upon  it  and  was  soon  fast  asleep.  It  had 
been  agreed,  however,  before  we  retired,  that  we  should 
be  up  at  an  early  hour  the  following  morning.  We  had 
yet  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  to  make  before  reaching 
Neuquen  and  we  were  bent  on  arriving  there  the  follow- 
ing evening,  if  at  all  possible.  The  Colonel  promised  to 
give  the  signal  for  rising.  Promptly,  at  three  o’clock,  we 
were  startled  by  something  like  a Sioux  war-whoop.  “Are 
the  Pehuenches  attacking  us?”  asked  a startled  dreamer 
next  to  me.  I assured  him  they  were  not,  for  I had  im- 
mediately recognized  the  prolonged  stentorian  “Whoo-oo- 
oop-ee!”  as  the  Colonel’s  promised  signal  for  rising.  In  a 
very  short  time  we  had  dressed,  taken  a cup  of  coffee  and 
were  again  merrily  speeding  towards  the  rising  sun. 

The  region  which  we  traversed  that  day  was  like  a 
section  of  the  Sahara.  It  was  sandy,  and,  aside  from  some 
scrubby  brushwood,  was  almost  entirely  devoid  of  vegeta- 
tion. The  heat  was  intense,  but,  thanks  to  the  dry  atmos- 
phere and  the  speed  of  our  motor-cars,  which  developed  a 
good  breeze,  we  did  not  experience  any  discomfort.  Almost 
the  only  human  habitations  were  small  adobe  shops — 
boliches — kept  by  Turks.  How  they  can  eke  out  an  exist- 
ence for  themselves  and  families  in  their  tumbledown  hovels 
is  a marvel.  But  that  they  can  reconcile  themselves  to 
such  isolation,  in  the  heart  of  the  desert,  is  a greater  marvel. 
And  yet  they  seem  to  prosper  and  to  be  contented.  One 
finds  Turkish  shopkeepers  and  Turkish  peddlers  all  over 
Argentina.  They  have  long  been  a thorn  in  the  side  of 
small  country  merchants  who  feel  keenly  the  active  competi- 
tion of  these  enterprising  Moslems.  The  number  of  Turks 
now  living  in  the  Republic  is  nearly  a hundred  thousand, 
and  this  is  rapidly  augmented  by  immigration. 

378 


MOTORING  IN  PATAGONIA 


As  we  approached  our  destination,  the  sandy  roads  be- 
came so  heavy  that  further  progress  seemed  impossible. 
Frequently  we  were  obliged  to  get  out  of  our  car  and  walk. 
In  particularly  bad  spots,  it  was  necessary  for  us  to  put 
our  shoulders  to  the  wheels  of  our  machines  in  order  to 
get  them  forward.  At  last  the  road  became  so  bad  that 
we  began  to  despair  of  reaching  our  destination  that  day, 
as  we  had  so  eagerly  desired.  But  when  the  outlook  seemed 
hopeless,  a beneficent  deus  ex  machina  suddenly  appeared 
in  the  shape  of  a troop  of  horsemen.  They  proved  to  be 
a number  of  G audios,  provided  with  strong  leather  lariats, 
who  had  been  sent  to  our  relief.  Attaching  one  end  of  their 
lariat  to  the  pommel  of  their  saddle  and  the  other  to  the 
front  of  the  automobile,  these  Gauchos,  by  acting  in  con- 
cert, were  soon  able  to  extricate  us  from  our  predicament. 

When  we  reached  the  Rio  Limai,  we  found  its  waters 
so  agitated  by  a sudden  borrasca  that  those  in  charge  of 
the  ferry  declared  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  cross  it 
until  the  storm  should  subside.  But  the  thought  of  being 
delayed  by  a passing  squall,  when  we  were  only  a few  miles 
from  Neuquen,  could  not  be  entertained  by  us  for  a moment. 
Finally,  after  some  vigorous  talk  by  one  of  our  party,  the 
ferrymen  reluctantly  consented  to  take  us  across  the  river, 
but  solemnly  declared  that  they  would  not  be  responsible 
for  our  lives  in  the  probable  event  of  a catastrophe.  The 
poor  fellows  were  unduly  alarmed,  for  we  were  soon  safe 
and  sound  on  the  opposite  shore  and  pushing  on  to  Neu- 
quen as  fast  as  our  cars  could  take  us. 

The  gathering  gloom  prevented  us  from  getting  more 
than  a glimpse  of  the  well-irrigated  lands  through  which 
we  passed.  We  saw  enough,  however,  to  convince  us  that 
this  part  of  Argentina— so  long  regarded  as  a useless  waste 
— is  destined  to  have  a great  future.  When  the  great  irri- 
gation works  connected  with  and  fed  by  the  colossal  Cuenca 
Vidal — a natural  reservoir  which  has  more  than  three  times 
the  capacity  of  the  noted  Egyptian  reservoir  at  Assuan — 

379 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


will  have  been  completed,  more  than  a million  acres  of 
most  fertile  land  will  be  opened  to  cultivation  and  the  valley 
of  the  Rio  Negro  will  equal  in  productiveness  the  famed 
valley  of  the  Nile. 

When  we  finally  reached  Neuquen,  after  our  day’s  whirl 
of  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  through  the  desert,  dark- 
ness had  long  settled  over  this  distant  verge  of  the  Pampa. 
But,  notwithstanding  this,  all  the  inhabitants  were  at  the 
railway  station  to  greet  us.  After  the  usual  speeches  and 
the  usual  national  anthems  by  the  band  and  the  usual  vivas, 
we  boarded  the  special  train  which  was  waiting  to  take  us 
to  Bahia  Blanca,  the  enterprising  seaport  on  the  Atlantic. 
Although  we  had  had  a rather  strenuous  day,  our  intense 
enjoyment  of  the  trip  had  rendered  us  almost  insensible 
to  hunger  and  fatigue.  It  was  only  after  we  had  entered 
the  gayly  decked  dining-car  and  sat  down  to  the  sumptuous 
repast  which  had  been  prepared  for  us  that  we  fully  realized 
that  we  had  been  a long  time  without  a substantial  meal 
and  that  repose  in  the  luxurious  staterooms  of  the  private 
car  of  the  President  of  the  Republic  would  be  as  grateful 
as  it  was  necessary. 

The  rain  which,  according  to  the  prophets,  was  to  drench 
us  on  our  way  across  the  Andes  and  the  desert  held  off 
until  shortly  before  our  train  started  for  Bahia  Blanca. 
We  had  had  ideal  weather  all  the  way  from  Puerto  Varas 
to  Neuquen,  and  had  enjoyed  every  hour  of  our  memorable 
journey  across  the  southern  part  of  the  continent.  It  could 
not  have  been  more  pleasant  or  made  under  more  favorable 
auspices.  The  courteous  governor  of  Neuquen,  Senor  Don 
Eduardo  Elordi,  was  untiring  in  his  efforts  to  make  our 
journey  through  his  territory  as  pleasant  and  as  com- 
fortable as  possible.  When,  on  parting,  he  said  to  each  of 
us,  “Adios!  Feliz  Viaje,”  we  felt  that  we  were  bidding 
adieu  to  a man  of  rare  hiddlguia  and  goodness  of  heart,  one 
whom  his  countrymen  would  designate  as  may  caballero — a 
perfect  gentleman. 


380 


MOTORING  IN  PATAGONIA 


The  morning  after  leaving  Neuquen  we  were  in  the  flour- 
ishing city  of  Bahia  Blanca.  Although  its  real  birth  dates 
back  scarcely  a generation,  it  already  ranks  third  among 
the  nation’s  shipping  centers,  being  surpassed  as  a port 
of  entry  only  by  Rosario  and  Buenos  Aires.  So  great  is 
the  foreign  trade  at  this  point  and  so  promising  is  its  fu- 
ture that  it  is  already  spoken  of  as  the  Liverpool  of  Ar- 
gentina. Through  a number  of  important  railroads  which 
converge  at  this  point,  it  controls  the  commerce  of  the 
southern  part  of  the  Republic.  Its  wheat  elevators  are 
among  the  largest  and  best  constructed  in  the  world.  The 
city  is  thoroughly  modern  in  appearance  and  in  its  methods 
of  transacting  business.  It  has  broad  streets,  large  and 
well-planned  parks,  and  imposing  edifices,  many  of  which 
are  gems  of  architecture. 

Some  twenty  miles  to  the  southwest  of  Bahia  Blanca 
is  Puerto  Militar,  the  chief  naval  station  of  Argentina. 
The  arsenals  and  dockyards  at  the  time  of  our  visit  were 
being  greatly  enlarged  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  na- 
tion’s growing  fleet.  When  I expressed  my  surprise  at 
the  immense  size  of  the  new  docks  which  were  rapidly 
nearing  completion,  an  admiral  who  was  standing  near 
me  said,  smiling:  “They  are  made  extra  large  to  receive 
our  new  super-dreadnaughts,  the  Moreno  and  the  Riva- 
davia,  which  your  enterprising  Mr.  Schwab  is  building  for 
us.  I tell  you  it  was  a great  surprise  to  European  ship- 
builders when  they  learned  that  Mr.  Schwab  was  awarded 
the  contract  for  building  those  monster  warships.  Even 
our  own  people  were  surprised,  for  they  had  been  led  to 
believe  by  his  competitors  that  it  was  impossible  to  con- 
struct such  leviathans  in  the  United  States.  Now,  however, 
that  this  wide-awake  head  of  the  Bethlehem  Steel  Corpora- 
tion has  also  secured  the  contract  for  erecting  Chile’s  coast 
defenses,  the  stock  of  American  gun  and  warship  manu- 
facturers has  made  an  enormous  advance  in  the  estimation 
of  everybody  in  South  America.”  Having  heard  substan- 

381 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


tially  the  same  statement  made  by  a Chilean  naval  official 
at  Talcuhuano,  I was  convinced,  more  than  ever  before, 
that  our  American  manufacturers  have  little  to  fear  in 
South  America  from  European  competition.  Business  of 
all  kinds  is  there  awaiting  them.  All  they  have  to  do  is 
to  go  after  it  with  true  Yankee  determination  and  it  is 
theirs. 

A breakfast  given  in  our  honor  by  the  admiral  of  the 
fleet  on  his  flagship  afforded  us  an  opportunity  of  meeting 
many  of  the  officials  of  the  Argentine  navy.  Like  their 
friends  of  the  Chilean  navy,  they  are  a splendid  body  of 
men — courteous,  educated  and  worthy  representatives  of 
the  best  type  of  Argentine  manhood. 

Equally  delightful  was  a reception  given  us  at  the  lead- 
ing club  of  the  city  by  the  chief  citizens  of  Bahia  Blanca. 
Among  them  were  several  English,  French  and  German 
business  men  who  have  large  interests  in  Argentina.  It 
was  there  that  we  had  to  forego  another  pleasure  similar 
to  the  one  which  we  had  to  deny  ourselves  when  we  were 
obliged  to  decline  the  princely  offer  of  our  Chilean  hosts 
to  take  us  to  the  Straits  of  Magellan  and  back  in  a special 
cruiser.  Thinking  only  of  our  pleasure,  our  Argentine 
hosts  had  put  a trim  steamer  at  our  disposition  to  convey 
us  to  Buenos  Aires  and  thence  by  the  majestic  Parana  to 
the  famous  falls  of  Iguazu.  But  lack  of  time  prevented  our 
accepting  the  gracious  offer  of  our  generous  hosts.  Sev- 
eral members  of  our  expedition  were  eagerly  awaiting  us 
on  the  upper  Paraguay,  where  we  had  agreed  to  meet  them 
at  a certain  date,  and  we  felt  constrained  to  keep  our  prom- 
ise to  join  them  at  the  appointed  time. 

“Never  have  I found  renunciation  so  trying,”  said  one 
of  our  party  to  me,  “as  in  foregoing  these  two  trips  to 
the  falls  of  Iguazu  and  to  the  Straits  of  Magellan.  But,” 
he  added  philosophically,  “one  cannot  have  everything  one 
desires.  Besides,  we  have  already  seen  so  much  of  South 
America  and  had  such  a glorious  time  among  its  hospitable 

382 


MOTORING  IN  PATAGONIA 


people  that  we  should  esteem  ourselves  fortunate  and 
feel  more  than  grateful  for  the  unique  experiences  which 
we  have  already  enjoyed.” 

Our  journey  by  rail  from  Bahia  Blanca  took  us  through 
one  of  the  richest  wheat  and  grazing  belts  in  Argentina. 
But  we  were  greatly  disappointed  by  the  appearance  of 
the  wheatfields.  A protracted  drought  had  reduced  the 
year’s  harvest  to  a small  fraction  of  the  normal  yield.  For- 
tunately, the  loss  in  this  part  of  the  country  was,  in  a 
measure,  compensated  by  abundant  harvests  in  other  sec- 
tions of  the  Republic. 

I was  surprised  at  the  number  of  rabbits  which  we 
saw  skipping  over  the  Pampa  at  the  approach  of  the  train. 
They  seemed  to  be  as  numerous  as  jack-rabbits  in  cer- 
tain parts  of  Texas.  As  night  was  falling,  my  attention 
was  attracted  by  a lone  armadillo,  the  first  I had  seen  in 
Argentina.  It  was  evidently  frightened  by  the  noise  of 
the  passing  train,  as  it  was  scurrying  off  to  cover  as  fast 
as  its  little  legs  could  take  it.  How  puny  it  was  in  com- 
parison with  its  giant  relative,  the  glyptodon,  which  flour- 
ished hereabouts  during  the  Pleistocene ! It  was  at  Punta 
Alta,  near  Bahia  Blanca,  that  Darwin  discovered  so  many 
fossil  remains  of  those  marvelous  animals  which,  during 
recent  geological  times,  roamed  over  the  Pampa.  He  de- 
clares that  this  point  is  “a  perfect  catacomb  for  monsters 
of  extinct  races.1 

Near  Monte  Hermoso  we  passed  through  the  region  in 
which  the  Argentine  geologist,  Dr.  Ameghino,  located  the 
Garden  of  Eden.  It  was  here  that  he  discovered  what  he 
maintained  was  a portion  of  the  skeleton  of  the  first  man, 
to  whom  he  gave  the  imposing  name  Tetraprothomo  Argen- 
tinus.  I did  not,  however,  experience  any  thrill  at  the 
thought  of  being  in  this  erstwhile  Argentine  Eden.  I had 
visited  the  reputed  sites  of  too  many  other  Edens,  in  va- 
rious parts  of  the  Old  and  the  New  World,  to  be  impressed 

1 Journal  of  Researches,  Chap.  IV. 

383 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


by  Dr.  Amegliino’s  discovery.  And  then,  too,  I asked  my- 
self if  his  reasons  for  locating  the  home  of  our  race  in 
the  vicinity  of  Monte  Hermoso  were  any  more  conclusive 
than  those  of  the  patriotic  Bolivian  scholar,  Emeterio  Vil- 
laniil,  who  maintained  that  the  site  of  the  Garden  of  Eden 
was  on  the  eastern  slope  of  mighty  Sorata,  or  those  of 
a Boston  investigator  who,  some  years  ago,  wrote  a good- 
sized  volume  to  prove  that  the  Paradise  of  our  first  parents 
was  situated  somewhere  near  the  North  Pole.1 

We  remained  in  Buenos  Aires  barely  long  enough  to 
make  a few  final  preparations  for  our  long-planned  expedi- 
tion into  the  Brazilian  jungle.  We  were  all  so  eager  to  get 
started  that  we  were  impatient  of  any  further  delay  and 
were  rejoiced  exceedingly  when  at  the  last  our  faces  were 
turned  towards  the  land  of  the  heart’s  desire,  the  great 
Brazilian  selva,  in  the  basin  of  the  Amazon. 


1 See  ‘ ‘ Paradise  Found,  the  Cradle  of  the  Human  Race  at  the  North  Pole,  ’ ’ 
by  W.  F.  Warren.  Boston,  1885. 

It  may  here  be  remarked  that,  as  a result  of  the  most  searching  investiga- 
tion, Mr.  Ale§  Hrdlicka,  curator  of  the  division  of  physical  anthropology  in 
the  United  States  Natural  Museum,  finds  that  of  the  two  skeletal  remains  on 
which  Sr.  Amegliino  based  his  fantastic  theory  regarding  Tetraprothomo  Ar- 
gentinus  one  belonged  to  “ a relatively  modern  man,  ’ ’ — probably  an  Indian  of 
a recently  exterminated  tribe, — while  the  other  belonged  ‘ ‘ to  some  ancient 
branch  of  the  cat  family.  ” As  to  the  much  exploited  notions  of  Amegliino, 
Lehman-Nitsche  and  others  respecting  the  fabulous  antiquity  of  man  in  South 
America,  Mr.  Hrdlicka  declares  that  the  evidence  thus  far  furnished  “fails 
to  establish  the  claim  that  in  South  America  there  have  been  brought  forth 
thus  far  any  tangible  traces  of  either  geologically  ancient  man  himself  or  of 
any  precursors  of  the  human  race.”  Cf.  “Early  Man  in  South  America,”  pp. 
385,  386,  Smithsonian  Institution,  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology,  Bulletin  52, 
Washington,  1912. 


CHAPTER  XVII 


IN  GUARANILAND 

Until  recently,  the  only  practical  way  of  reaching  the 
capital  of  Paraguay,  from  Buenos  Aires,  was  by  steamer 
on  the  Parana  and  Paraguay  rivers.  Shortly  before  our 
arrival,  however,  these  two  cities  had  been  connected  by 
rail,  and,  conformably  to  our  itinerary,  we  effected  this 
part  of  our  journey  by  train  instead  of  making  it  by  boat. 
We  had  been  strongly  advised  against  undertaking  this  long 
overland  trip  of  a full  thousand  miles.  An  American  who 
had  been  over  the  road  a short  time  before  was  particu- 
larly insistent  in  trying  to  dissuade  us  from  setting  out 
on  what  he  declared  would  surely  be  a most  uncomfortable 
and  unsatisfactory  journey.  “The  road,”  he  declared,  “is 
in  an  almost  impassable  condition.  The  roadbed  is  wretched 
and  the  rails  are  so  poorly  laid  that  you  are  liable  to  run 
off  the  track  at  any  moment.  It  is  impossible  to  run  trains 
on  schedule  time  and  you  may  be  delayed  a week  in  reaching 
your  destination.  Go  by  boat,  by  all  means,  and  you  will 
not  only  travel  with  every  comfort,  but  you  will  also  have 
the  satisfaction  of  knowing  when  you  will  arrive  at 
Asuncion.  ’ ’ 

But  we  were  deaf  to  all  this  well-meant  advice.  We 
had  been  similarly  warned  against  the  overland  journey  be- 
tween Rio  de  Janeiro  and  Montevideo,  as  well  as  against 
the  one  between  Puerto  Varas  and  Neuquen,  both  of  which 
we  had  made  with  untold  pleasure  and  profit.  Whether  it 
was  because  we  had  been  so  favored  during  all  our  pre- 
vious experiences,  or  because  we  had  more  faith  in  the 
Argentine  Central,  Entre  Rios  and  Paraguayan  Central 

385 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Railway  than  our  solicitous  friend,  we  felt  instinctively  that 
all  would  be  well,  and  that  our  journey  by  rail  between 
Buenos  Aires  and  Asuncion  would  be  in  every  way  agree- 
able and  memorable.  And,  as  the  sequel  will  show,  we  were 
not  mistaken. 

There  vrere  several  reasons  which  impelled  us  to  choose 
the  land  in  preference  to  the  water  route.  We  wished  to  see 
the  Argentine  Mesopotamia — that  wonderfully  fertile  land 
encircled  by  the  Parana  and  the  Uruguay,  which  holds  the 
promise  of  a future  as  glorious  as  its  past  has  been  fa- 
mous. But  above  all  we  wished — or  at  least  I wdslied — to 
traverse  the  territory  which  was  once  the  scene  of  the 
activities  of  that  remarkable  “Christian  Indian  State” 
known  in  history  as  “The  Reductions  of  Paraguay.” 

A couple  of  hours  after  leaving  Buenos  Aires,  we  found 
ourselves  on  a mammoth  steel  ferryboat  which  conveyed 
our  train  across  the  broad  and  far-famed  Parana.  As  we 
spent  several  hours  on  this  noble  waterway,  we  vTere  able 
to  note  all  its  most  characteristic  features.  Like  the  Ama- 
zon and  the  Orinoco  near  their  embouchures,  the  Parana, 
where  vTe  crossed  it,  is  a maze  of  islands  and  meandering 
channels  from  which  no  one  but  an  expert  pilot  can  extri- 
cate himself. 

As  I surveyed  the  landscape  from  the  upper  deck  of 
our  boat,  my  heart  fairly  leapt  at  the  splendor  of  the 
view.  The  broad  emerald  Pampa  and  the  palm-decked 
islands  v7ere  bathed  in  the  crimson  rays  of  the  setting  sun. 
A delicious  languor  seemed  to  hang  upon  the  air  and  a 
strange,  heavenly  peace  appeared  to  have  fallen  upon  this 
enchanting  spot.  The  broad  panorama  glowed  with  color 
and  magic.  The  river  was  as  silent  and  as  motionless  as 
a haunted  mere.  The  stately  palms,  with  their  noble 
crowns,  cast  masses  of  shadow  over  the  darkening  wraters, 
while  the  wild,  untrained  tangle  of  underbrush  on  both  sides 
of  the  calmly  flowing  flood  seemed  to  be  the  natural  haunts 
of  savage  beasts  and  more  savage  men.  Nothing  could  have 

386 


IN  GUARANILAND 


surpassed  the  enthralling  beauty  of  the  evening  with  its 
gentle  voices  and  subdued  colors,  with  the  mysterious 
shapes  and  movements  of  trees  and  islands  as  they  disap- 
peared in  the  dreamy  distance  with  the  rapidly  approaching 
twilight. 

Then  night  fell  over  the  scene  and  a slight  pearly  mist 
which  had  risen  from  the  broad  expanse  of  waters  drew 
over  the  face  of  the  earth  a tremulous  veil  of  gossamer. 
But  the  dark-blue  sky  was  spangled  with  stars  and  the  ris- 
ing moon,  throwing  a path  of  silver  athwart  the  broad  river, 
poured  an  opalescent  sheen  over  the  palm-crowned  islands 
and  flooded  the  mist-covered  Pampa  with  ethereal  white- 
ness. We  were  seemingly  in  a land  of  enchantment,  but, 
in  reality,  we  were  in  a region  where  legend  whispers  among 
the  palm  trees  and  trembles  in  the  shivering  wavelets  of 
the  moon-irradiate  Parana.  We  were  gliding  over  waters 
which  witnessed  the  immortal  deeds  of  Castilians  and  An- 
dalusians of  pure  blood  and  high  traditions — men  who  cast 
a glamour  over  everything  they  touched,  and  invested  with 
romance  all  the  scenes  of  their  matchless  prowess  and 
brilliant  exploits. 

It  was  easy  here  to  conjure  up  noted  personages  of 
the  long  ago.  For  the  banks  of  the  Parana  are  dotted  with 
historic  sites  and  teem  with  associations  connected  with 
discoverers  and  with  the  Conquistadores.  The  Amazon, 
the  Orinoco  and  the  Magdalena  are  famous  in  the  annals 
of  exploration  and  conquest,  but  they  must  all  yield  the 
palm  to  the  great  river  of  the  south,  which,  under  the  vary- 
ing names  of  the  Parana,  the  Paraguay  and  the  Rio  de 
la  Plata,  has  witnessed  more  stirring  exploits  and  far- 
reaching  achievements  than  any  other  waterway  in  the 
Western  Hemisphere. 

“Suppress  in  imagination,’ ’ writes  the  Paraguayan  his- 
torian, Dr.  Manuel  Dominguez,  “the  turbulent  and  drama- 
tic Rio  de  la  Plata,  which  lured  to  its  shores  the  first  ven- 
turous navigators;  suppose  that  there  were  no  solution 

387 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


of  continuity  between  its  two  banks,  and  you  at  once  sup- 
press the  first  steps  of  the  Conquest.  . . . Observe  that  in 
this  hypothesis  we  should  not  have  the  history  of  Solis, 
nor  the  history  of  Cabot,  nor  the  history  of  Mendoza.  . . . 
Buenos  Aires  would  not  be  where  it  now  stands.”1  And 
were  it  not  for  the  Paraguay,  Ayolas  and  Irala  and  Alvar 
Nunez  would  not  have  astonished  the  world  by  their  mar- 
velous feats  of  exploration  in  the  interior  of  an  unknown 
continent,  nor  would  they  have  founded  the  city  of  Asuncion, 
which  was  not  only  the  capital  of  Paraguay,  but  was  also, 
for  a long  time,  the  chief  administrative  center  of  the 
greater  part  of  the  continent  from  the  Laguna  de  los 
Xarayes  to  the  Strait  of  Magellan. 

It  was  only  twenty  years  after  Columbus  dropped  anchor 
off  Guanahuani  that  Juan  Diaz  de  Solis,  chief  pilot  of 
Spain,  entered  the  mar  dulce , the  sweet-water  sea,  formed 
by  the  mouth  of  what  the  natives  called  the  Parana  Guazu, 
the  great  Parana.  In  honor  of  the  daring  navigator,  this 
majestic  river  was  for  a time  known  as  the  Rio  Solis.  After 
the  tragic  death  of  Solis,  at  the  hands  of  the  ruthless  Char- 
ruas,  the  next  adventurer  to  steer  his  ocean-tossed  caravels 
into  the  tawny  waters  of  the  mar  dulce  was  the  Venetian 
navigator,  Sebastian  Cabot,  who,  in  company  with  his  fa- 
ther and  brothers,  had  previously  discovered  Newfoundland 
and  a portion  of  the  neighboring  continent.  His  first  ob- 
jective was  the  Moluccas,  whence  Magellan’s  famous  ship, 
La  Victoria,  had  just  returned,  after  the  first  circumnaviga- 
tion of  the  world,  laden  with  spices  and  other  precious  prod- 
ucts of  the  mystic  and  alluring  East.  Cabot’s  ambition,  like 
that  of  his  illustrious  predecessor,  Christopher  Columbus, 
was  to  discover  Opliir,  Tharsis  and  Cipango,  and  return 
to  Spain  with  his  ships  laden  with  gold  and  silver  and  the 
spices  and  the  precious  stones  for  which  those  countries 
were  then  so  famed  throughout  Europe. 

But  Cabot,  instead  of  proceeding  to  the  Moluccas  by 

1 “ Constitution  del  Paraguay,”  Tom.  I,  p.  73.  Asuncion,  1909. 

388 


IN  GUARANILAND 


way  of  the  Strait  of  Magellan,  as  lie  had  agreed  to  do  in 
his  capitulation  with  Charles  V,  determined,  on  his  arrival 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Solis,  to  explore  that  great  river 
on  one  of  whose  banks  its  ill-fated  discoverer  had  a short 
time  previously  met  such  a tragic  death.  He  ascended  the 
Parana  as  far  as  its  confluence  with  the  Paraguay  and, 
according  to  certain  early  writers,  sailed  up  the  last- 
named  river  until  he  was  almost  in  sight  of  the  elevated 
bank  on  which  Asuncion  now  stands.  It  was  during  this 
voyage  of  discovery  that  Cabot  secured  from  the  natives 
a number  of  silver  plates  and  ornaments.  He  concluded, 
forthwith,  that  there  were  mines  of  silver  in  the  country 
which  was  drained  by  the  great  river  which  he  was  navi- 
gating and  he,  accordingly,  gave  it  the  name  of  Rio  de  la 
Plata,  Silver  River,  instead  of  Rio  Solis.1 

It  was  these  plates  of  silver  which  Cabot  found  near 
the  Parana,  or  the  Paraguay,  and  the  name  Rio  de  la  Plata, 
which  he  bestowed  on  this  great  waterway,  that  gave  rise  to 
countless  legends  rivaling  those  of  Mexico  or  Peru.  The 
entire  La  Plata  region  soon  became,  in  public  estimation, 
a country  of  exhaustless  mines  and  fabulous  wealth — a re- 
gion, too,  of  mystery  and  enchantment. 

As,  for  lack  of  means,  Cabot  was  not  able  to  continue 
the  work  of  exploration  on  the  Silver  River,  it  was  under- 
taken by  Pedro  de  Mendoza,  the  noted  founder  of  Buenos 
Aires.  One  of  the  stipulations  made  by  the  Spanish  mon- 
arch was  that  Mendoza  was  to  open  up  communication 
with  the  land  of  the  Incas.  With  this  object  in  view,  he 
sent  one  of  his  lieutenants,  Juan  de  Ayolas,  up  the  Para- 
guay. The  legends  that  had  been  woven  in  consequence 
of  Cabot’s  finding  silver  among  the  aborigines  soon  gave 

‘From  the  time  of  Cabot’s  voyage,  “The  river  Parana,’’  quaintly  writes 
Padre  Techo,  “on  account  of  Gavot’s  silver,  or  the  hope  of  much  silver  to  be 
found  there,  was  called  the  river  of  Plate,  a name  rather  specious  than  true.  ’ ’ 
“The  History  of  the  Provinces  of  Paraguay,  Tucuman,  Eio  de  la  Plata,  Parana, 
Guaira,  and  Urvaica  and  Something  of  the  Kingdom  of  Chile,  in  South  Amer- 
ica.” In  Churchill’s  “Collection  of  Voyages  and  Travels,”  Vol.  IV,  p.  641, 

389 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


rise  to  other  legends,  each  more  extravagant  than  the 
others.  Whether  Mendoza  and  Ayolas  were  actuated  by 
them  or  not,  it  was  not  long  before  everyone  in  the  vast  ter- 
ritory of  Paraguay,  “The  Giant  of  the  Indian  Provinces,” 
was  in  a fever  of  excitement  about  the  stories  of  El  Dorado 
and  the  marvels  of  the  Enchanted  City  of  the  Caesars — 
known  among  the  Guaranis  as  Elelin,  or  Yungulo  or 
Trapalanda — and  the  no  less  wonderful  Gran  Paititi  which, 
rumor  had  it,  was  somewhere  in  the  mysterious  regions  of 
the  Moxos,  or  in  the  unexplored  selvas  of  Brazil.  The  epoch 
of  the  Conquistadores  was  an  epoch  of  illusions,  of  ignes 
fatui,  and  in  no  part  of  South  America  did  these  illusions 
cast  a more  potent  spell  over  the  conquerors  than  it  did 
over  the  iron-liearted  adventurers  in  the  vast  territory  so 
long  known  as  the  Province  of  La  Plata.  But  more  about 
this  in  the  following  chapter. 

After  spending  four  delightful  hours  on  the  Parana, 
one  of  the  great  rivers  of  the  world,  we  again  boarded  our 
train  at  Ibicuy  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Parana.  We  were 
now  in  the  famed  Mesopotamia  of  Argentina,  one  of  the 
most  fertile  parts  of  the  Republic,  and,  since  the  completion 
of  the  railroad  between  Buenos  Aires  and  Asuncion,  one  of 
the  most  promising  and  progressive.  All  along  the  line 
in  the  provinces  of  Entre  Rios  and  Corrientes  we  found 
flourishing  towns  and  villages  provided  with  electric  lights 
and  trolley  cars  and  modern  buildings  in  lieu  of  the  one- 
story  adobe  structures  of  colonial  times.  The  broad  plains 
through  which  we  passed  were  devoted  to  grazing  and  agri- 
culture. Everywhere  were  immense  flocks  and  herds,  all 
apparently  in  prime  condition.  The  owners  of  many  of  the 
estancias  take  special  pride  in  their  blooded  stock,  and  one 
will  find  in  Entre  Rios  and  Corrientes  as  fine  breeds  of 
horses,  cattle  and  sheep  as  in  any  part  of  the  Republic. 

But,  although  greatly  interested  in  the  physical  and  eco- 
nomic aspects  of  the  country,  in  its  present  condition  and 
future  promise,  I must  confess  that  I found  my  mind,  while 

390 


IN  GUARANILAND 


traversing  this  historic  land,  continually  reverting  to  the 
storied  past  and  musing  on  the  exploits  of  the  Conquista- 
dores  in  this  part  of  Argentina  and  on  the  achievements  of 
the  heroes  of  the  war  of  independence.  I was  particularly 
reminded  of  the  struggles  of  the  patriots  on  passing  through 
Yapegu,  a place  which  is  sacred  to  every  patriot  of  South 
America.  For  it  was  here  that  her  great  liberator, 
San  Martin,  first  saw  the  light  of  day  on  February  25, 
1778. 

Scarcely  less  tliouglit-provoking  was  a small  place  called 
Bonpland.  This  was  named  after  the  illustrious  French 
naturalist,  Aime  Bonpland,  who  was  the  associate  of  Hum- 
boldt during  his  celebrated  expedition  to  South  America 
at  the  beginning  of  the  last  century.  During  this  expedi- 
tion, which  was  of  untold  value  to  the  world  of  science, 
M.  Bonpland  collected  upwards  of  six  thousand  new  species 
of  plants.  Some  years  subsequently,  at  the  invitation  of 
Bivadavia,  the  president  of  Argentina,  he  accepted  the 
chair  of  pathology  in  the  University  of  Buenos  Aires.  But 
the  call  of  the  wild  soon  lured  him  back  to  the  plain  and 
the  forest,  where  he  could  live  in  intimate  communion  with 
that  fecund  nature  which  was  his  joy  and  his  life. 

It  was  while  engaged  in  his  prolific  researches  that  he 
fell  into  the  hands  of  Dr.  Francia,  the  notorious  dictator  of 
Paraguay.  In  spite  of  the  efforts  of  Humboldt,  of  Bolivar, 
of  the  emperor  of  Brazil  and  of  European  monarchs  who 
exerted  all  their  influence  to  have  the  illustrious  naturalist 
returned  to  Argentina,  Bonpland  was  held  a prisoner  in 
Paraguay  for  nearly  ten  years.  But  his  captivity  caused 
less  distress  to  himself  than  to  his  friends.  For,  although 
under  constant  surveillance,  and  not  allowed  to  depart  more 
than  a league  from  his  habitation,  he  was,  even  in  his  re- 
stricted environment,  able  to  find  unalloyed  happiness  in 
the  wealth  of  nature  which  converted  Cerrito,  where  he  was 
so  long  detained,  into  a veritable  paradise. 

A letter  which  Bonpland  wrote  to  a friend  in  Paris  gives 

391 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


an  insight  into  the  character  of  this  ardent  lover  of  na- 
ture. “I  have  led,”  he  declares,  “a  life  as  happy  as  any 
man  could  lead  who  was  deprived  of  all  relations  with  his 
country,  his  family  and  his  friends.  The  practice  of  medi- 
cine served  to  support  existence.  My  services  soon  won  me 
the  love  and  respect  of  the  inhabitants,  who  saluted  with 
cordiality  that  Frenchman  whom  they  saw  with  naked  feet, 
dressed  like  a criollo,  with  the  floating  shirt  and  pantaloons, 
as  he  went  to  visit  their  sick  and  to  bring  them  courage 
and  help.  . . . Accustomed  as  I am  now  to  a free  life,  to 
the  shade  of  the  magnificent  American  trees,  to  hear  the 
songs  of  the  birds  which  hang  their  nests  above  my  head ; 
accustomed  as  I am,  moreover,  to  seeing  flowing  at  my 
feet  the  sparkling  waters  of  streams,  what  should  I find, 
in  the  place  of  all  this,  in  those  brilliant  and  aristocratic 
quarters  of  Paris?”  1 

In  spite  of  his  long  journeys  and  privations  and  cease- 
less activity,  this  great  nature-lover  attained  the  ripe  age 
of  eighty-four,  and  his  biographer  was  able  to  say  of  him : 

Rien  ne  trouble  sa  fin ; 

C’est  le  soir  d’un  beau  jour.2 

The  government  of  Corrientes  has  honored  itself  by 
erecting  a monument  to  the  memory  of  the  distinguished 
Frenchman,  who,  next  to  his  eminent  friend  and  companion, 
Alexander  von  Humboldt,  did  more  than  any  other  one 
man  to  make  known  to  the  world  the  marvels  of  the  flora 
and  fauna  of  South  America. 

Not  long  after  leaving  the  pueblo  of  Bonpland  we  en- 
tered the  confines  of  what  was  once  the  happy  region  so 
beautifully  designated  by  the  Italian  historian,  Muratori, 
as  Cristianesimo  Felice.  We  were  at  last  in  that  famous 

1 Quoted  in  ‘ ‘ The  Romance  of  the  Rio  Plate,  ’ ’ Vol.  II,  pp.  399  and  400, 
by  W.  H.  Koebel,  London,  1914. 

2 Nothing  troubles  his  passing;  it  is  the  evening  of  a beautiful  day. 

392 


IN  GUARANILAND 


land  known  in  history  as  “The  Reductions  of  Paraguay”  1 
— the  scene  of  acts  of  devotion,  of  self-sacrifice  and  of  sub- 
lime heroism  in  the  cause  of  humanity  which  are  unique  in 
the  annals  of  missionary  endeavor  in  the  New  World,  and 
unsurpassed  in  the  long  history  of  the  Church’s  glorious 
apostolate. 

In  his  charming  “New  Italian  Sketches,”  that  graceful 
and  scholarly  writer,  John  Addington  Symonds,  to  whom 
all  students  of  the  Renaissance  are  so  deeply  indebted,  con- 
cludes an  illuminating  chapter  on  “The  Palace  of  U rhino” 
by  the  statement  that  the  ‘ ‘ interchange  between  dead  memo- 
ries and  present  life  is  the  delight  of  travel.”  The  truth  of 
this  assertion  was  borne  in  upon  me  as  soon  as  we  crossed 
the  Parana  on  our  way  from  Buenos  Aires.  For  we  then 
entered  the  southern  area  of  that  vast  territory  which 
was  long  dominated  by  the  powerful  Tupis,  that  extraor- 
dinary Indian  tribe  which  had  extended  their  conquests 
from  the  Rio  de  la  Plata  to  the  valley  of  the  Amazon  and 
which,  under  the  name  of  Chacamas  and  Omaguas,  had 
established  themselves  in  the  forest-clad  regions  drained 
by  the  Ucayali  and  Putumayo,  and  whose  language,  slightly 
modified  by  the  missionaries,  is  the  basis  of  that  famous 
lingua  geral  which  is  still  so  extensively  used  by  various 
tribes  from  the  Rio  de  la  Plata  to  the  Amazon.  But  it  was 
to  the  southern  Tupis  that  my  thoughts  then  turned,  to 
those  bold  and  adventurous  aborigines  who,  in  proud  self- 
consciousness,  called  themselves  Guaranis — Warriors. 

Yes,  we  were  at  last  in  Guaraniland;  in  the  land  of  those 
noble  redmen  who,  in  the  heyday  of  missionary  activity  in 
South  America,  were  gathered  by  the  Jesuits  into  the  most 
interesting  theocratic  community  of  which  there  is  any 
record. 


‘The  name  Reductions,  as  Charlevoix  informs  us,  was  “Usually  given  in 
Peru  to  all  the  Christian  towns  formed  among  the  infidels,  and  governed  by 
regular  priests.  . . . Loreto  was  the  first  in  Paraguay  to  which  it  was  given.  ’ ’ 
“The  History  of  Paraguay,”  Vol.  I,  pp.  247,  248,  London,  1769. 

393 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 

The  reductions,  or  mission  colonies  of  Paraguay,  had 
their  inception  in  the  first  decade  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury. Their  origin  was  not  due,  as  is  frequently  asserted, 
to  the  ambition  of  their  founders  to  establish  in  the  wilds 
of  subtropical  America  a government  independent  of  the 
Spanish  Crown,  and  modeled  after  the  fantastic  Sun  State 
of  Campanella.  They  were  the  outcome  of  the  desire  of 
the  missionaries,  whose  efforts  were  cordially  seconded 
by  Philip  III,  to  liberate  the  Indians  from  the  cruelties 
of  the  mita  and  encomienda  systems ; to  protect  them  from 
the  iniquities  of  the  slave-hunting  Mamelukes,  and  thus  to 
prepare  them  for  a cheerful  and  intelligent  reception  of 
the  truths  of  the  Gospel.  They  were  translations  into  action 
of  the  bull  of  Pope  Paul  III,  who  declared  that  the  Indians 
were  human  beings  with  immortal  souls  and  that  they 
should  be  treated  as  such.  It  was  in  accordance  with  the 
humane  policy  of  Philip  III,  which  demanded  that  ‘ ‘ the  In- 
dian should  be  as  free  as  the  Spaniard”;  with  the  ceduld 
real  which  he  issued  in  1606,  in  which  Hernandarias  de 
Saavedra,  the  then  governor  of  Paraguay,  was  notified  that, 
“even  if  he  could  conquer  the  Indians  of  the  Parana  by 
force  of  arms,  he  must  not  do  so,  but  must  gain  them  over 
solely  through  the  sermons  and  instructions  of  the  reli- 
gious who  had  been  sent  for  that  purpose.”  They  were  an 
extension  and  an  elaboration  of  the  system  employed  by 
the  Dominicans  on  the  Napo;  by  the  Franciscans  on  the 
lower  Orinoco;  by  the  distinguished  founder  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Cordoba,  Fray  Fernando  de  Trejo  y Sanabria, 
the  illustrious  bishop  of  Tucuman,  who  founded  schools  and 
colleges  for  Indians;  by  Santo  Toribio,  the  second  arch- 
bishop of  Peru,  who  devoted  the  greater  part  of  his  apos- 
tolic career  to  the  welfare  of  the  aborigines;  by  the  im- 
mortal Las  Casas,  who  so  eloquently  pleaded  the  cause  of 
the  children  of  the  forests  in  the  courts  of  kings  and  em- 
perors, and  who,  as  bishop  of  Guatemala,  succeeded  in 
bringing  into  the  fold  of  Christ  the  most  savage  tribes,  and 

394 


IN  GUARANILAND 


of  converting  La  Provincia  de  Guerra — the  Province  of  War 
— into  La  Provincia  de  Vera  Paz — the  Province  of  True 
Peace — a name  which  it  bears  to  this  day. 

The  first  reductions  were  established  in  the  Province 
of  Guayra,  which  now  forms  a part  of  the  present  Brazil- 
ian state  of  Parana.  But  the  frequent  incursions  of  the 
ruthless  and  relentless  Mamelukes  made  their  stay  in  this 
region  impossible.  For  in  a single  year,  1630,  these  con- 
scienceless marauders  murdered  or  carried  off  into  slav- 
ery no  fewer  than  thirty  thousand  of  the  mission  Indians. 
It  was,  therefore,  necessary  to  transfer  the  reductions  and 
the  neophytes  composing  them  to  a place  where  they  would 
not  be  molested  by  the  soulless  Mamelukes.  The  asylum 
chosen  was  the  fertile  territory  now  occupied  by  and  ad- 
joining the  present  state  of  Misiones,  in  Argentina. 

Here  they  prospered,  and,  for  nearly  a century  and  a 
half,  led  a life  which  was  the  admiration  of  the  world. 
Their  rapid  progress  from  savagery  to  civilization  was 
remarkable.  A few  years  sufficed  to  convert  them  from 
semi-nomads  into  stable  and  contented  denizens  of  the  re- 
ductions. They  soon  became  masters  in  all  kinds  of  arts 
and  crafts.  The  best  evidence  of  this  was  the  splendid 
churches  which  they,  under  the  direction  of  the  Jesuits, 
erected  in  all  the  principal  reductions.  “Many  of  these 
edifices,”  Charlevoix  assures  us,  “would  not  disgrace  the 
greatest  cities  in  Spain  or  Peru,  either  in  regard  to  the 
beauty  of  their  structure  or  to  the  richness  and  good  taste 
of  their  sacred  vessels  or  ornaments  of  every  kind.  ’ ’ 1 Even 
today,  when  most  of  them  are  little  more  than  masses  of 
ruins,  they  excite  the  wonder  of  every  beholder  and  attest 
the  ability  of  their  Guarani  builders  as  artisans  and 
artists. 

In  every  reduction  there  were  two  schools.  In  one  the 
Indians  were  taught  the  elementary  branches  of  knowl- 
edge, like  reading,  writing  and  arithmetic.  In  the  other 

‘“History  of  Paraguay,”  Vol.  I,  p.  265,  London,  1769. 

395 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


they  received  lessons  in  dancing,  singing  and  playing  “upon 
all  the  instruments  permitted  to  be  used  in  divine  service, 
which  they  do,  like  the  birds,  as  it  were  by  instinct.”  1 The 
noted  French  traveler,  Alcide  d’Orbigny,  tells  us  that  when 
he  visited  the  mission  of  Santa  Ana,  among  the  Chiquitos, 
he  was  astonished  to  find  the  Indians  executing  selections 
from  Rossini  and  Weber.2  He  would  have  been  more  sur- 
prised could  he  have  heard  the  well-trained  Guarani  musi- 
cians on  the  occasion  of  some  special  function,  whether 
secular  or  religious. 

Nor  is  this  all.  Equally  remarkable  was  the  fact  that 
the  Guaranis  of  the  reductions  made,  themselves,  most  of 
the  musical  instruments  which  they  handled  so  well.  They 
were  so  skillful  in  the  use  of  tools  and  so  clever  in  imi- 
tating any  handiwork  placed  before  them  that  they  were 
able  to  reproduce  any  instrument,  from  a harp  to  a pipe- 
organ,  and  make  it  as  good  as  the  European  original.  In 
all  kinds  of  arts  and  crafts  their  power  of  imitation  seemed 
to  be  ahnost  as  highly  developed  as  that  of  the  Chinese  or 
Japanese. 

They  specially  excelled  in  copying  manuscripts.  Char- 
levoix tells  us  of  a very  large  one  in  Madrid  which  came 
from  their  hands,  “which  would  do  honor  to  the  best  cop- 
iers of  Madrid,  both  in  point  of  beauty  and  exactness.”3 

Even  more  extraordinary  was  their  expertness  as  print- 
ers. The  Indians  not  only  cast  the  type  but  also  engraved 
the  plates  used  in  illustrating  the  books  that  were  pub- 
lished in  the  reductions.  This  was  more  than  two  centuries 
ago,  when  the  art  of  printing  in  the  United  States  was 
still  in  its  infancy.  Most  of  the  works  issued  from  their 
remarkable  press  were  catechisms  and  books  of  devotion, 
for  the  use  of  the  Indians.  But,  in  addition  to  these  works, 

1 Op.  cit.  Vol.  I,  p.  264. 

’“Fragment  d’  un  Voyage  au  Centre  de  1’AmSrique  Meridionale,”  p.  65, 
Paris,  1845. 

’ Ut  sup.,  p.  262. 


396 


IN  GUARANILAND 


the  celebrated  “Vocabulario  de  la  lengua  Guarani,’ ’ of 
Padre  Ruiz  de  Montoya,  was  likewise  printed  on  this 
press,  as  was  also  the  rare  and  highly  prized  “Manuale  ad 
Usuni  Patrum  Societatis  Jesu  qui  in  Reductionibus  Para- 
quariae  Versantur.”  This  contains  prayers  in  both  Latin 
and  Guarani  and  is,  probably,  after  Montoya’s  “Vocabu- 
lario,”  the  most  important  work  which  has  ever  issued 
from  the  press  of  the  reductions. 

In  their  palmiest  days,  the  Guarani  reductions  were 
thirty-two  in  number,  with  a population  of  nearly  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand.1  In  a few  decades  the  rude 
children  of  the  subtropical  forests  and  plains  had  acquired 
a knowledge  of  all  the  arts  of  civilized  life.  They  were 
self-supporting  and  gave  promise  of  eventually  becoming 
an  important  social  and  economic  factor  in  the  Spanish 
colonies.  How  different  were  they  in  this  respect  from 
the  Indians  of  our  own  country,  who  have  cost  the  gov- 
ernment so  many  hundreds  of  millions  of  dollars ! They 
were  contented  and  happy.  The  proof  of  this  lies  in  the 
fact  that  there  were  never  any  uprisings  against  the 
missionaries  and  in  the  childlike  docility  with  which 
they  submitted  to  the  guidance  of  their  father-priests 
— so  they  called  their  spiritual  and  temporal  guides — 
whom  they  always  regarded  as  their  truest  friends 
and  most  powerful  protectors.  As  there  were  only 
two  or  three  priests  in  charge  of  each  of  the  reductions, 
there  was  nothing  to  prevent  the  Indians  at  any  time 
from  rebelling  against  authority  or  massacring  their  rulers, 
had  they  been  so  disposed  or  had  they  not  been  thoroughly 
satisfied  with  their  changed  mode  of  life,  which  was  so 
entirely  different  from  that  of  their  savage  ancestors. 

But  the  Guaranis  were  not  indifferent  to  the  advan- 

1 Some  authors  estimate  the  number  at  one  hundred  and  eighty  thousand. 
Contrary  to  what  is  often  asserted,  only  eight  of  these  reductions  were  in  the 
present  republic  of  Paraguay.  The  others  were  in  the  state  of  Parana,  Brazil, 
and  in  the  Argentine  provinces  of  Misiones,  Corrientes  and  Entre  Rios. 

397 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


tages  of  civilization.  Still  less  did  they  fail  to  recognize 
the  blessings  which  their  devoted  and  self-sacrificing  spir- 
itual leaders  had  brought  them.  Contrasting  their  life 
in  the  reductions  under  the  gentle,  yet  firm,  government  of 
the  Jesuits  with  that  which  they  had  before  led  in  the 
wilds  of  Brazil  and  Paraguay,  where  they  wTere  ever  the 
prey  of  Mameluke  slavers,  or  the  victims  of  famine,  in- 
duced by  their  own  improvidence,,  they  wTere  grateful  for 
the  security  afforded  them  by  their  protectors  against 
the  raids  of  their  enemies  and  for  the  provision  which 
w^as  made  for  their  material  as  well  as  their  spiritual 
welfare. 

The  Indians  of  the  missions  were,  for  the  first  time  in 
their  history,  assured  of  the  means  of  subsistence  and 
that  without  severe  toil  on  their  part.  “They  now,”  as 
Dean  Funes  wTrites,  “had  a certainty  that  large  families, 
far  from  being  a burden  to  their  parents,  would  be  their 
consolation ; that  orphanage  would  be  without  danger ; wid- 
owhood  would  be  without  abandonment ; sickness  would  be 
without  disconsolateness  and  old  age  without  bitterness.”  1 

1 ‘ ‘ Ensayo  de  la  Historia  Civil  del  Paraguay,  Buenos  Aires  y Tucuman.  ’ ’ 
Tom.  I,  p.  296,  Buenos  Aires,  1910. 

The  poet  Southey  fills  out  so  beautifully  the  picture  here  sketched  by  Dean 
Funes,  that  I must  do  myself  the  pleasure  of  reproducing  two  of  the  strophes 
from  his  touching  “Tale  of  Paraguay,”  in  which  he  sings: 

In  history’s  mournful  map,  the  eye 
On  Paraguay,  as  on  a sunny  spot. 

May  rest  complacent:  to  humanity, 

There,  and  there  only,  hath  a peaceful  lot 
Been  granted,  by  Ambition  troubled  not, 

By  Avarice  undebased,  exempt  from  care, 

By  perilous  passions  undisturbed.  And  what 
If  Glory  never  rested  her  standard  there, 

Nor  with  her  clarion  blast  awoke  the  slumbering  air. 

Content  and  cheerful  Piety  were  found 
Within  those  humble  walls.  From  youth  to  age 
The  simple  dwellers  paced  their  even  round 
Of  duty,  not  desiring  to  engage 
Upon  the  world’s  contentious  stage, 

398 


IN  GUARANILAND 


That  the  reductions  had  their  limitations  and  imperfec- 
tions no  one  can  deny.  This  was  inevitable  in  a vast  or- 
ganization composed  almost  exclusively  of  people  just 
rescued  from  savagery.  But,  even  during  their  short  ex- 
istence, the  Indians  of  the  reductions  had  gone  far  beyond 
the  boasted  civilization  of  the  Incas.  As  tillers  of  the 
soil,  as  shepherds  and  herdsmen,  as  artisans  and  artists, 
they  far  surpassed  the  Children  of  the  Sun,  while  in  in- 
tellectual attainments  and  in  moral  excellence  they  were 
as  far  above  the  Incas  as  Christian  enlightenment  is  above 
the  darkness  of  ignorance  and  barbarism.  One  is,  there- 
fore, surprised  to  find  men  who  laud  the  government  of 
the  Incas  to  the  skies,  and,  at  the  same  time,  condemn 
the  system  of  the  reductions  because,  forsooth,  it  was  not 
suitable  for  our  so-called  “civilized”  life  of  today.  “That 
it  was  not  only  suitable,”  writes  Cunningliame  Graham, 
certainly  a competent  witness,  “but  perhaps  the  best  that, 
under  the  circumstances,  could  have  been  devised  for  In- 
dian tribes  two  hundred  years  ago,  and  then  but  just 
emerged  from  semi-nomadism,  is,  I think,  clear  when  one 
remembers  in  what  a state  of  misery  and  despair  the 
Indians  of  the  encomiendas  and  the  mitas  passed  their 
lives.” 

Not  only  was  the  reduction  system  the  most  suitable  for 
the  Indians,  but  it  was  also  the  only  one  adopted  in  what 
was  once  the  vast  province  of  Paraguay  which  permitted 
an  increase  of  the  native  population.  When  we  recall  the 
manner  in  which  the  Indians  were  exterminated  elsewhere, 
especially  in  our  own  country,  it  must  be  admitted  that 
this  one  fact  speaks  volumes  in  favor  of  the  system  which 
has  been  so  adversely  criticised  by  people  who  have  been 
unable  to  appreciate  its  merits,  or  unwilling  to  recognize 

Whose  ways  they  wisely  had  been  trained  to  dread: 

Their  inoffensive  lives  in  pupillage 
Perpetually,  but  peacefully,  they  led, 

Prom  all  temptation  saved,  and  sure  of  daily  bread. 

— Canto  IV,  strs.  5 and  6. 


399 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


the  wonderful  results  which  were  achieved  through  its 
operation. 

The  Guarani  reductions  exhibited  many  of  the  best 
features  of  Christian  socialism.  Like  the  faithful  of  apos- 
tolic times,  the  Indians  of  the  missions  “had  but  one  heart 
and  one  soul;  neither  did  anyone  say  that  aught  of  the 
things  which  he  possessed  was  his  own ; but  all  things  were 
common  unto  them.”  1 In  the  heart  of  the  wilderness,  far 
from  the  ambitions  and  jealousies  and  turmoils  of  the  rest 
of  the  world,  these  unspoiled  children  of  nature  were  able 
to  realize,  in  a striking  manner,  some  of  the  sublime  ideas 
of  Plato  and  Sir  Thomas  More,  and  to  enjoy  in  blessed 
tranquillity  many  of  the  serene  delights  of  an  earthly 
paradise. 

But  these  were 

“Joys  too  exquisite  to  last.” 

The  archenemy  of  mankind  lias  ever  been  inimical  to 
human  felicity,  and,  as  in  the  Eden  of  old,  so  in  the  Eden 
on  the  Parana  was  it  true  that 

“Serpents  lie  where  flowers  grow.” 

While  the  Indians  were  enjoying  to  the  full  their  idyllic  life 
—half  Arcadian,  half  monastic — amid  their  orange  groves 
and  palm-studded  fields,  singing  and  dancing  when  the  day’s 
task  was  done,  word  was  brought  them  that  their  father- 
priests,  their  loved  spiritual  fathers  for  five  generations, 

1 The  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  4,  32. 

The  eminent  Italian  historian,  Lodovico  Muratori,  in  writing  of  the  re- 
markable conversion  of  the  Guaranis,  who,  “from  wild  beasts  of  the  forest, 
were  transformed  into  lambs  of  the  sheepfold  of  Christ,  ’ ’ declares  ‘ ‘ Questi 
lupi,  questi  orsi  ora  sono  mansueti  agnelli,  innocenti  eolumbe;  e tale  e nella 
maggior  parte  d ’essi  la  compostezza,  tale  1 ’amore  fraterno,  cotanta  1 ’illibatezza 
de’costumi,  e la  divozione,  que  sembrano  un  ritratto  della  primitiva  Chiesa. ’’ 
“II  Cristianesimo  Felice  nelle  Missioni  dei  Padri  della  Compagnia  di  Gesu  nel 
Paraguai,  ’’  p.  56,  Venice,  1743. 


400 


IN  GUARANILAND 


were  to  be  taken  from  them,  and  that  they  were  to  be  like 
sheep,  a prey  to  the  ravenous  wolves  which  surrounded 
them  and  which  had  long,  unknown  to  them,  been  seeking 
their  destruction. 

This  is  not  the  place  to  tell  of  the  causes  which  led 
to  the  expulsion  of  the  Jesuits  from  the  scene  of  their 
fruitful  labors  in  behalf  of  humanity.  The  story  of  the 
abrupt  termination  of  their  noble  work  among  the 
Guaranis,  of  their  cruel  separation,  without  a moment’s 
warning,  from  their  spiritual  children  to  whose  welfare 
they  had  generously  devoted  their  lives;  of  the  agony  and 
despair  of  the  Indians  on  finding  themselves  suddenly  de- 
prived of  the  counsel  and  support  of  those  to  whom  they 
and  their  forefathers  were  indebted  for  the  sweetest  joys 
they  had  ever  known,  has  often  been  told  by  both  friend 
and  foe.  Suffice  it  to  say  of  this  nefarious,  tragic  and  sui- 
cidal act  of  despotism  what  Southey,  certainly  an  unpreju- 
diced witness,  asserted  of  the  ruthless  spoliation  of  the 
Indians  in  the  seven  reductions  eastward  of  the  Uruguay, 
that  it  was  an  iniquity  executed  “in  obedience  to  one  of 
the  most  tyrannical  commands  that  were  ever  issued  in 
the  recklessness  of  unfeeling  power.”1 

After  the  expulsion  of  the  Jesuits,  the  reductions  un- 
derwent rapid  disorganization.  During  the  ensuing  con- 
fusion and  anarchy  the  missions  were  deserted  by  the  In- 
dians, who  gradually  returned  to  their  native  forests  or 
fell  beneath  the  baneful  blight  of  unprincipled  whites.  In 
less  than  a generation  the  once  happy  land  of  the  Guarani 
reductions  was,  as  had  been  happily  expressed  by  the  grace- 
ful writer,  R.  B.  Cunninghame  Graham,  but  little  more 
than  “a  vanished  Arcadia.”2 

It  was  our  original  intention  to  visit  the  sites  of  the 

'“History  of  Brazil,’’  Vol.  Ill,  p.  449,  London,  1819. 

2 For  a sympathetic  account  of  the  Jesuit  missions  in  Paraguay  the  reader 
will  find  Mr.  Graham’s  “A  Vanished  Arcadia,”  New  York,  1901,  well  worth 
a perusal. 


401 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 

principal  missions  both  in  Argentina  and  Paraguay.  But 
I,  for  one,  am  not  sorry  that  we,  almost  at  the  last  hour, 
made  a change  in  this  part  of  our  itinerary.  It  is  neither 
cheering  nor  stimulating  to  contemplate  the  melancholy 
wreck  of  a paradise  or  to  survey  the  graves  of  the  buried 
hopes  and  aspirations  of  an  unfortunate  people.  I was, 
therefore,  satisfied  with  mere  glimpses  of  what  still  re- 
main of  the  once  happy  towns  and  villages  of  the  erst- 
while happy  and  prosperous  reductions.  This  was  my 
feeling  as  I passed  through  Aposteles,  which  is  now  the 
center  of  a flourishing  Polish  colony,  but  which  was  two 
centuries  ago,  as  the  liana-covered  ruins  of  its  once  im- 
posing church  still  eloquently  declare,  the  cherished  home 
of  God-loving  Guaranis.  I preferred  to  feast  my  eyes  on 
that  which  has  not  been  mutilated  by  the  tooth  of  time  nor 
by  the  ruthless  hand  of  man — that  exuberant  Nature  which 
still  retains  all  the  ravishing  beauty  of  the  days  of  yore. 
In  lieu  of  crumbling  temples  and  abandoned  cemeteries — 
the  once  “ sacred  gardens  of  the  dead” — I found  more 
pleasure  in  gazing  on  the  tree-clad  hills  and  the  flower- 
carpeted  plains,  over  which  the  Indians,  preceded  by  a 
crucifix  and  accompanied  by  their  pastors,  were  wont,  in 
long  white-robed  processions,  to  wend  their  way  to  peace- 
ful labor  to  the  sound  of  joyous  anthems  or  elevating 
prayer.  It  was  more  grateful  to  observe  the  clumps  of 
stately  palms  which  once  shielded  the  laborer  from  the 
noonday  sun,  or  the  broad  rivers,  those  majestic  caminos 
andantes — flowing  roads — along  which  well-manned  canoes 
used  to  glide  from  one  mission  to  another,  or  the  wild 
orange  groves,  where  a venerable  Indian  may  still  be 
found  at  eventide  reverently  murmuring  the  Angelus,  as 
did  his  forefathers  in  happier  days.  But  now  not  vesper 
hymns  of  contented  natives  enliven  the  scene;  only  the 
harsh  notes  of  the  parrot  and  macaw  hovering  above  the 
nearby  date-palms— stately,  though  mute,  souvenirs  of  the 
golden  age  of  the  Guarani  missions. 

402 


Ruins  of  Churches  of  the  Reductions  of  Paraguay. 


IN  GUARANILAND 


But  it  was  the  Parana,  where  we  crossed  it  between 
Posadas  and  Encamacion,  which  gave  me  the  most  unal- 
loyed pleasure.  It  evoked  in  a special  manner  many  cher- 
ished memories  of  youthful  days.  For  my  first  recollec- 
tions of  the  reductions  are  associated  with  the  picture 
of  an  Indian  standing  on  the  bank  of  the  Parana,  near 
these  parts,  with  a large  fish  in  his  hand.  And  this  pic- 
ture has  always  been  connected  with  an  account  of  the 
missionaries  sailing  down  the  great  river  and  chanting 
the  sublime  Te  Deum  which  was  reechoed  by  the  neighbor- 
ing wooded  heights.  How  I then  longed  to  see  that  great 
river  in  which  the  Indian  caught  the  big  fish!  How  I 
wished  that  I might  one  day  sail  on  the  great  waterway 
which  bore  on  its  bosom  the  chanting  evangelists  of  the 
golden  age  of  Guaraniland! 

That  was  more  than  fifty  years  ago,  and,  although  I 
seemed  then  to  be  yearning  for  the  impossible,  I never 
ceased  to  hope  that  one  day  my  longings  might  be  realized. 
And  when  at  length,  after  almost  two  lifetimes,  I actually 
found  myself  crossing  the  Parana  at  the  very  place  where, 
two  centuries  before,  the  solemn  notes  of  the  Te  Deum  had 
stirred  the  souls  of  the  Indians  to  their  depths,  I could 
scarcely  credit  my  senses.  I seemed  as  if  by  enchantment 
to  be  transported  back  to  my  boyhood  days  and — must' 
I own  it? — I actually  looked  about  me  for  the  Indian  with 
the  big  fish  and  the  boat  bearing  the  black-robes  as  they 
intoned  the  noble  hymn  of  thanksgiving  which  tradition 
has  long  ascribed  to  those  two  eminent  fathers  of  the 
Church — Saint  Ambrose  and  Saint  Augustine. 

However,  my  abstraction  was  but  momentary.  If 
some  of  the  objects  which  had  so  captivated  my  youthful 
fancy  were  missing  in  the  scene  before  me,  I had,  at  least, 
the  satisfaction  of  being  at  last  in  the  heart  of  the  famous 
mission  country  and  of  contemplating  a river  which  had 
been  a mute  witness  to  some  of  the  most  thrilling  achieve- 
ments recorded  in  the  annals  of  the  reductions. 

403 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Of  these,  to  mention  but  one,  was  the  marvelous  hegira 
of  twelve  thousand  Indians  from  their  home  on  the  Para- 
panema  to  a place  near  the  spot  on  which  I then  stood. 
They  were  under  the  leadership  of  Padre  Montoya,  one 
of  the  most  remarkable  men  of  the  time.  He  was  eminent 
not  only  as  a missionary,  but  also  as  a scholar;  he  was 
a born  leader  of  men.  His  “Arte  y Vocabulario,”  his 
“Tesoro  de  la  Lengua  Guarani”  and  his  “Catecismo”  are 
still  recognized  as  the  best  authorities  on  the  Guarani  lan- 
guage, while  his  “Conquista  Espiritual”  gives  us  the  clear- 
est insight  into  the  character  of  the  reductions  in  which  he 
labored  so  long  and  so  effectually.  “I  have  lived,”  he  tells 
us  in  the  introductory  chapter  to  his  last-named  work,  “all 
through  the  period  of  thirty  years  in  Paraguay,  as  in  the 
desert,  searching  for  wild  beasts — that  is,  for  savage  In- 
dians— crossing  wild  countries,  traversing  mountain  chains, 
in  order  to  find  Indians  and  bring  them  into  the  true  sheep- 
fold  of  Holy  Church.  With  my  companions,  I have  estab- 
lished thirteen  reductions,  or  townships,  in  the  wilds,  and 
this  I did  with  great  anxiety,  in  hunger,  nakedness,  and 
in  frequent  peril  of  my  life.  And  all  these  years  which  I 
passed  far  from  my  brother-Spaniards,  have  made  me  al- 
most a rustic  and  ignorant  of  the  polished  language  of  the 
Court.”  1 He  usually  traveled  afoot  and  often  barefooted. 

1 The  original  words  of  the  author  are  so  touching  and  give  so  vivid  a 
picture  of  the  labors  and  sufferings  of  the  missionaries  in  the  reductions  of 
Guaraniland  that  I take  the  liberty  of  quoting  them  in  full. 

‘ 1 He  viuido  todo  el  tiempo  dicho  en  la  Prouincia  del  Paraguay,  y como 
en  el  desierto,  en  busca  de  fieras,  de  Indios  barbaros,  atrauesando  campos,  y 
trasegando  montes  en  busca  suya,  para  agregarlos  al  aprisco  de  la  Iglesia 
santa,  y al  seruicio  de  su  Magestad,  de  que  con  mis  companeros  hize  treze 
reducciones,  o poblaciones,  con  el  afan,  habre,  desnudez,  y peligros  frecuStes 
de  la  vida,  que  la  imaginacion  no  aleanqa,  en  cuyo  exercicio  me  parecia  estar 
en  el  desierto : porque  aunque  aquellos  Indios  que  vinian  a su  vsain’a  antigua 
en  sierras,  campos,  montes,  y en  pueblos  que  cada  uno  montaua  cinco,  e seis 
casas,  reduzidos  ya  por  nuestra  industria  a poblaciones  grandes;  y de  rusticos 
bueltos  ya  en  politicos  Christianos,  con  la  continua  predicacion  del  Euangelio. 
Con  todo  esso  el  carecer  tantos  anos  del  trato  Espaiiol,  y su  lenguage,  obligado 
por  fuercja  a usar  siempre  del  Indico,  viene  a formar  un  hombre  casi  rustico, 

404 


IN  GUARANILAND 


For  traveling  equipment,  he  informs  us,  he  had  only  a 
hammock  and  a little  mandioca  meal.  For  eight  years  or 
more  he  never  once  tasted  bread. 

Such  was  the  Moses  who  was  to  lead  his  people  from 
Guaira,  where  they  were  incessantly  harassed  by  the 
Mamelukes,  to  a Canaan  between  the  Uruguay  and  the 
lower  Parana.  The  undertaking  would  have  dismayed  a 
less  resolute  heart  than  that  of  Montoya.  But  with  twelve 
thousand  neophytes,  including  men,  women  and  children, 
he  courageously  set  out  on  a journey  of  five  hundred  miles, 
on  a perilous  river  and  through  a maze  of  tangled  forest, 
through  which  the  retreating  host  had  to  cut  their  way 
with  machetes.  To  make  matters  worse,  their  supply  of 
provisions  was  limited.  They  were  without  arms  and 
game  was  scarce.  Many  succumbed  to  hardship,  hunger 
and  disease.  But,  despite  countless  obstacles,  which  at 
times  seemed  insurmountable,  Montoya  never  despaired  of 
being  able  to  conduct  his  people  to  a place  of  refuge,  where 
they  would  be  secure  from  the  dreaded  Mamelukes  and 
where  they  could  begin  life  anew  in  a land  which  they 
could  call  their  own.  After  many  moons  had  waxed  and 
waned,  success  at  last  crowned  his  efforts  and  he  finally 
saw  his  devoted  people,  whom  he  loved  with  an  abiding 

y ageno  del  cortes  lenguage,  a que  no  poco  ayudan  los  ordinarios  man j ares 
que  los  Indios  comunmente  usan,  y de  fuercja  nosotros,  que  son  raizes,  cala- 
bacjas,  yeruas,  habas,  y otros  deste  genero,  hasta  que  la  inuasion  hostil,  quema 
de  Iglesias,  heridas  que  dieron  a los  Sacerdotes,  malos  tratamientos  que  les 
hizieron,  sacrilegios  que  cometieron,  presa  que  hizieron  en  ornamentos  de  Igle- 
sias, y alhajas  pobres  de  los  Religiosos  que  en  onze  poblaciones  predicauan : 
y lo  que  mas  es,  auer  desterrado  de  quatro  Iglesias  el  santissimo,  y venerabilis- 
simo  Sacramento  del  Altar,  los  vezinos  y moradores  de  las  villas  de  san  Pablo, 
Santos,  san  Vicente,  y otras  villas,  que  se  han  forjado  de  gente,  cuyas  acciones 
obligaron  a huir  de  la  luz  de  la  justicia,  me  ha  obligado  a dexar  aquel  desierto, 
y soledad,  y acudir  a la  Eeal  Corte,  y pies  de  su  Magestad,  caminando  al  pie 
de  dos  mil  leguas,  con  el  peligro,  y riesgo  de  mar,  rios,  y enemigos  que  es 
notorio,  a pedir  instantemente  el  remedio  de  tantos  males,  que  amenazan  muy 
grandes  estoruos  de  su  Real  seruicio,  y dixera  mejor,  dafios,  y peligros  de 
perderse  la  mejor  joya  de  su  Corona  Real.”  "Conquista  Espfritual  hecha  por 
los  religiosos  de  la  Compania  de  Iesus,  ” p.  1-2.  Madrid,  1639. 

405 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


love,  securely  established  on  the  lower  Parana,  in  the 
center  of  a fertile  and  healthful  region  which  soon  bore 
the  soul-stirring  name,  Reductions  of  Paraguay. 

Historians  are  wont  to  dilate  on  the  retreat  of  the  ten 
thousand  Greeks,  under  Xenophon,  as  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  exploits  in  military  annals.  But  this  memorable 
march  through  a hostile  country  must  yield  the  palm  to 
Montoya’s  extraordinary  achievement  in  safely  conduct- 
ing a greater  multitude — many  of  them  weak  and  helpless 
women  and  children — through  a pathless  jungle  and  down 
the  treacherous  rapids  of  the  impetuous  Parana.  Of  those 
wdio  have  labored  for  the  weal  of  their  fellow  men  in  the 
wilds  of  South  America,  few  have  a greater  claim  to  the 
recognition  and  gratitude  of  humanity  than  Padre  An- 
tonio Ruiz  de  Montoya.  But  in  a world  like  ours,  which 
is  so  given  to  the  apotheosis  of  mediocrity,  his  achieve- 
ments are  almost  forgotten,  except  by  the  few  who  still 
hold  his  memory  in  benediction  and  to  whom  the  noble 
deeds  of  the  great  missionary  are  an  inspiration  and  a 
clarion  call  to  higher  things.1 

Between  Encarnacion,  on  the  southern  border  of  Para- 
guay, and  Asuncion  there  is  little  which  is  deserving  of 
special  notice,  except  the  wonderfully  fertile  country. 
Most  of  that  through  which  w*e  passed  is  much  like  the 
northern  and  central  parts  of  Uruguay.  The  undulating 
grazing  lands,  dotted  with  clumps  of  stately  palm-trees 
and  supplying  rich  pasturage  to  countless  flocks  and  herds, 
constituted,  as  our  train  sped  through  them,  magnificent 
panoramas  which  held  our  rapt  attention  for  hours  at  a 
time.  In  the  days  of  the  reductions  tens  of  thousands 

1 Mr.  Cunningliame  Graham,  in  describing  the  wonderful  feat  of  Montoya 
in  guiding  his  people  through  the  ill-boding  wilderness,  expresses  himself  in 
this  characteristic  fashion : ‘ ‘ Most  commonly  the  world  forgets  or  never  knows 

its  greatest  men,  while  its  lard-headed  fools,  who  in  their  lives  perhaps  have 
been  the  toys  of  fortune,  sleep  in  their  honored  graves,  their  memory  living 
in  the  page  of  history  preserved  like  grapes  in  aspic  by  writers  suet-headed  as 
themselves.  ’ ’ Op.  cit.,  p.  85. 


406 


Church  at  Canjo.  Paraguay. 


Falls  op  Iguazu. 


IN  GUARANILAND 


of  sheep  and  hundreds  of  thousands  of  cattle  roamed  over 
these  splendid  grazing  lands,1  and  made  this  part  of  Para- 
guay one  of  the  most  productive  sections  of  the  entire  prov- 
ince of  the  Rio  de  la  Plata. 

“What  a marvelous  region  this  would  be  today,”  ob- 
served one  of  my  traveling  companions,  “had  the  reduc- 
tions been  allowed  to  continue  to  the  present  day  the  noble 
work  which  was  so  tragically  arrested  a hundred  and  fifty 
years  ago ! What  an  interesting  Indian  community  we 
should  now  find  here,  if  the  Guaranis  had  been  allowed 
to  develop  along  the  lines  traced  out  for  them  by  Montoya 
and  his  confreres  in  religion!  What  a glory  for  Para- 
guay— for  the  land  of  Isabella — for  our  race — if  the  In- 
dians of  the  missions  had  been  permitted  to  increase  and 
multiply  and  to  attain  that  goal  of  social  excellence  to- 
wards which  they  were  moving  with  such  rapid  strides! 
What  an  object  lesson  in  human  evolution;  of  progress 
from  savagery  to  civilization ! What  a victory  for  science 
and  culture;  what  glory  for  the  cause  of  education  and 
religion ! 

“It  is  not  likely  that  there  will  ever  again  be  offered 
another  opportunity  for  a similar  experiment  in  the  so- 
cial evolution  of  a savage  tribe.  The  experiment  with 
the  Guaranis,  which  promised  so  much,  failed  in  exhibiting 
the  anticipated  results  solely  because  of  the  fatuous  pol- 
icy of  those  who  should  have  been  most  interested  in  its 
success.  When  Charles  III,  in  an  evil  hour,  gave  ear  to 
the  Machiavellian  Pombal,  and  signed  the  decree  for  ex- 
pulsion of  the  Jesuits  from  his  dominions,  he  sacrificed  his 
Praetorian  Guard  and  dealt  a blow  to  Paraguay  from  which 
it  has  never  recovered,  and  from  which,  humanly  speak- 

’ At  the  time  of  the  expulsion  of  the  Jesuits  the  number  of  cattle  in  the 
reductions  was  719,761;  oxen,  44,183;  horses,  27,204;  sheep,  138,827.  In  the 
single  estancia  of  Santa  Tecla  there  were  no  fewer  than  fifty  thousand  head 
of  these  domestic  animals.  Vid.  ‘ ‘ Inventarios  de  los  Bienes  Hallados  a la 
Expulsion  de  los  Jesuitos,  Appendix,”  p.  669,  by  Francisco  Javier  Brabo,  Mad- 
rid, 1872. 


407 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


ing,  it  never  can  recover.  It  was  a blow  to  the  economic 
and  industrial  growth  of  the  country,  as  well  as  to  its  social 
and  intellectual  advancement.  Paraguay  occupies  a promi- 
nent page  in  history,  but  it  is  the  only  one  of  the  South 
American  republics  which  has  so  far  failed  to  contribute 
something  of  enduring  value  to  literature.”1 

The  Ave  bell, 

“That  seemed  to  mourn  for  the  expiring  day,” 

softly  sounded  from  convent  towers  as  our  train  slowly 
rolled  into  the  imposing  station  of  the  Paraguayan  capital, 
where  a vast,  acclaiming  multitude  had  gathered  to  bid 
us  welcome  to  Nuestra  Senora  de  la  Asuncion.2  I cannot 
speak  for  my  companions,  but  I can  say  that  I personally 
was  more  eager  to  see  this  old,  historic  metropolis  than 
any  other  city  I had  ever  visited  in  the  southern  continent, 
with  the  exception  of  Lima,  and  possibly  Cuzco  and  Bogota. 
This  was  not  because  of  its  size,  or  wealth,  or  beauty,  for 
in  the  last  two  respects,  if  not  in  all  three,  it  is  far  be- 
hind the  other  capitals  of  South  America.  It  was  because 
of  the  important  role  it  had  so  long  played  in  the  history 
of  the  New  World  and  because  of  the  atmosphere  of  ro- 
mance which  has  enveloped  it  since  the  days  when  the 
Conquistadores  made  it  a place  of  refuge  on  their  way  to 
golden  Peru,  and  the  center  of  gravity  of  the  southern  part 
of  the  continent. 

1 The  truth  of  this  assertion  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  in  the  elaborate 
four-volume  “Antologia  de  Poetas  Hispano- Americanas,  ’ ’ of  Menendez  y Pe- 
layo,  of  the  Royal  Spanish  Academy,  we  find  selections  from  the  poets  of 
all  the  South  American  republics,  except  Paraguay. 

2 Asuncion  was  founded  in  1537  on  the  site  of  a fort  which  had  been  con- 
structed by  Gonsalvo  Mendoza  and  near  the  spot  where  Juan  de  Ayolas  had 
gained  a signal  victory  over  the  Indians  on  the  fifteenth  of  August — the  feast 
of  our  Lady’s  Assumption — of  the  preceding  year.  “Gonsalvus  Mendoza 
arcem  Virgini  in  caelum  Assumptae  consecratam  ibi  construxit,  ubi  nunc  eadem 
nominis  Assumptionis  urbs  Paraguari®  caput  visitur.  ” “Historia  Provincial 
Societatis  Jesu,  ” Lib.  I,  Cap.  9 by  Padre  N.  del  Techo,  Leodii,  1673. 

408 


IN  GUARANILAND 


Like  Quito  and  Bogota,  Asuncion  retains  the  charm  and 
flavor  of  antiquity.  In  many  respects,  the  manners  and 
customs  of  its  inhabitants  are  the  same  as  they  were  under 
Ilernandarias,  its  first  creole  governor.  The  women  still 
wear  the  mantilla  and  the  rebozo , as  in  colonial  times,  and 
still  carry  water-jugs  on  their  heads  as  did  the  maidens  of 
Andalusia  in  the  days  of  the  Moors.  On  festal  occasions 
la  gente  calzada — the  upper  class — have  their  gowns  decked 
with  the  exquisite  lace,  which,  on  account  of  its  extreme 
delicacy  and  tenuousness,  is  aptly  named  nanduti  in  Guar- 
ani— tela  de  arana  in  Spanish- — which  signifies  spider’s 
web.  It  is  made  by  the  deft  hands  of  clever  Paraguayan 
women,  who  exhibit  in  their  work  all  the  skill  and  artistic 
sense  of  the  most  famous  lace-makers  of  Brussels  and 
Venice. 

As  in  La  Paz  and  Cuzco  the  people  of  pure  European 
stock  constitute  a small  minority,  so  also  among  the  eighty- 
odd  thousand  inhabitants  of  Asuncion  the  great  number 
are  mestizos  of  Spanish  and  Indian  strain.  In  spite  of 
the  tremendous  loss  the  Guaranis  have  sustained  since  the 
collapse  of  the  reductions,  there  are  still  in  Paraguay  many 
of  these  interesting  people  of  unmixed  blood,  and  many, 
too,  who  speak  no  language  but  Guarani.  Indeed,  there 
are  several  newspapers  in  Asuncion  which  are  printed  in 
both  Spanish  and  Guarani,  and  it  is  necessary  for  the 
priests,  in  most  of  the  missions,  to  have  a knowledge  of 
both  languages.  The  scholarly  and  zealous  Bishop  of 
Asuncion,  Monsignor  Bogarm,  had  just  completed  a 
visitation  of  his  vast  diocese  when  I met  him,  and  had 
many  interesting  stories  to  relate  regarding  his  experi- 
ences among  the  various  Indian  tribes  under  his  jurisdic- 
tion. 

So  intense  was  the  heat  the  first  day  of  our  arrival  that 
it  seemed  we  were  in  Muspellslieim.  But  a heavy  rainstorm 
soon  moderated  the  temperature,  and  then  a delicate 
drowsy  languor  pervaded  the  atmosphere  and  predisposed 

409 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


one  to  immobility  and  reverie.  We  were  no  longer  in 
Muspellslieim,  but  in  the  land  of  the  Lotus  Eaters, 

“A  land  where  all  things  always  seem  the  same.” 

The  climate  of  Asuncion  is,  indeed,  remarkably  equable, 
and  sudden  variations  in  temperature  are  exceptional. 
During  nine  months  of  the  year  the  city  rejoices  in  all 
the  delights  and  beauties  of  spring.  For  this  reason  there 
are  few  cities  in  South  America  which  appeal  more  strongly 
to  the  lover  of  the  romantic  past  and  in  which  one  is  more 
inclined  to  spend  a few  months  of  dreamy  existence. 

But  it  is  only  of  the  charms  of  Asuncion’s  perpetual 
spring  that  one  can  say  “all  things  always  seem  the  same.” 
For  no  city  in  South  America  has  experienced  more  or 
greater  vicissitudes  than  the  queen  metropolis  of  the 
Paraguay.  From  the  day  when  the  adelantado,  Alvar 
Nunez,  one  of  the  noblest  of  the  Conquistadores,  was  sent 
back  in  chains  from  Asuncion  to  Spain,  Paraguay  lias  been 
devastated  and  desolated  by  rebellions  and  wars  without 
number.  This  was  particularly  true  during  the  greater 
part  of  the  nineteenth  century  when  she  fell  into  the  hands 
of  three  tyrants,  who,  for  more  than  fifty  years,  ruled 
the  country  with  an  iron  hand. 

The  first  of  these  was  Jose  Gaspar  Rodriguez,  better 
known  as  Dr.  Francia.  For  nearly  thirty  years  the  history 
of  Paraguay  was  little  more  than  the  narrative  of  the 
cruel  deeds  of  this  heartless  despot.  His  was  a regime 
of  terror  such  as  few  countries  have  ever  known.  His  gov- 
ernment was  characterized  by  all  the  iniquities  of  the  worst 
of  the  Visconti  and  all  the  ruthlessness  of  Ivan  the  Ter- 
rible. As  El  Supremo  Perpetuo  he  was  the  arbiter  of  life 
and  death.  He  tortured  and  put  to  death  without  trial  all 
who  incurred  his  displeasure  or  excited  his  suspicion.  He 
forbade  communication  with  the  rest  of  the  world,  and, 
towards  the  end  of  his  long  life,  he  had  Paraguay  as  corn- 

410 


Paraguayan  Lace-Maker. 


Country  Home  in  Paraguay. 


IN  GUARANILAND 


pletely  isolated  from  the  outer  world  as  the  hermit  king- 
dom of  Thibet.  The  dread  which  the  Supremo  inspired 
during  life  continued  even  after  his  demise.  For  a long 
time  no  one  dared  to  speak  freely  of  El  Muerto  or  El 
Difunto,  the  deceased  par  excellence,  and,  if  any  reference 
was  made  to  him,  the  timid  natives  would  instinctively 
glance  about  them,  to  assure  themselves  that  they  were  not 
being  observed  by  some  secret  agent  who  might  be  seeking 
to  compass  their  destruction. 

The  second  dictator  was  Carlos  Antonio  Lopez.  Dur- 
ing twenty-one  years  he,  like  liis  predecessor,  was  the  state. 
On  account  of  his  arbitrary  acts  the  United  States  was 
compelled,  in  1853,  to  order  Lieutenant  Page,  U.S.N.,  in 
command  of  the  Water  Witch,  to  enforce  demands  against 
him,  but  the  wily  autocrat  succeeded  in  evading  them. 

Shortly  before  his  death,  the  dictator — contrary  to  all 
law — designated  his  son,  Francisco  Solano  Lopez,  as  his 
successor.  If  the  father  had  chastised  the  Paraguayans 
with  whips,  his  son  chastised  them  with  scorpions.  For 
seven  years  he  ground  his  people  under  his  heel.  Dur- 
ing this  period  thousands  of  innocent  people  were  impris- 
oned, tortured  and  put  to  death  by  the  tyrant’s  orders. 
Neither  age  nor  sex  was  spared.  Even  the  ties  of  kin- 
ship failed  to  stay  the  monster’s  murderous  hands.  Every 
family  of  note  in  the  country  supplied  victims  to  the  ogre 
whose  atrocities  made  his  name  a byword  among  all  the 
nations  of  the  world  and  a hissing  on  the  lips  of  Time. 

He  aspired  to  be  a second  Napoleon  and  sought  to  se- 
cure supremacy  in  South  America.  To  gratify  his  ambi- 
tion and  to  realize  his  dreams  of  empire,  he  provoked  the 
War  of  the  Triple  Alliance,  in  which  the  army  of  Para- 
guay was  pitted  against  the  combined  forces  of  Brazil, 
Uruguay  and  Argentina.  The  struggle  was  long  and  of 
unparalleled  ferocity.  The  loss  of  life  on  both  sides  was 
frightful.  Old  men  and  boys  of  ten  years  of  age  were 
forced  to  take  up  arms.  But  victory,  as  was  foreseen  by 

411 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


all  except  tlie  ghoulish  instigator  of  the  conflict,  was  in 
favor  of  the  Alliance. 

During  this  unequal  struggle,  in  which  the  Guaranis 
fought  with  more  than  Spartan  bravery,  nearly  the  entire 
male  population  of  Paraguay  was  sacrificed.  Scarcely  one 
per  cent  of  those  who  were  forced  into  the  war  by  a ruth- 
less despot  returned  to  their  homes  alive.  When  Lopez 
finally  met  his  tragic  death  on  the  banks  of  the  Aquidaban, 
the  desolation  of  the  country  which  he  had  plunged  into 
such  misery  was  indescribable.  The  proportion  of  men 
to  women  was  hut  one  to  seven.  Of  women  and  children, 
more  than  a hundred  thousand  had  died  from  famine  and 
exposure.  At  the  end  of  the  seven  years  of  his  tyrannical 
rule  but  one-fiftli  of  the  population  was  left,  and  Para- 
guay was  little  more  than  a geographical  expression.  To 
show  their  execration  of  the  atrocities  of  this  inhuman 
monster,  the  government,  even  after  his  death,  enacted 
a special  decree  of  expatriation  in  which  the  deceased 
tyrant  was  denounced  as  an  outlaw  and  an  enemy  of  his 
countiy. 

All  of  the  South  American  republics  have,  at  one  time 
or  another,  been  cursed  by  the  atrocities  of  ambitious  and 
ruthless  caudillos  and  despots.  Argentina,  to  mention  one 
of  them,  has  had  her  Rosas  1 and  Quiroga.  But  neither 
of  these,  cruel  and  murderous  as  they  were  in  dealing 
with  their  fellow-men,  exhibited  such  an  utterly  callous  na- 
ture or  was  responsible  for  such  a wanton  waste  of  human 
life*  as  was  the  demon  Lopez. 

Nearly  half  a century  has  elapsed  since  Paraguay  was 
liberated  from  the  terrorism  of  Lopez,  hut  the  paralyzing 
effect  of  his  fiendish  abuse  of  power  is  still  everywhere 
apparent.  The  nation  is  still  staggering  under  a debt 

1 Rosas,  in  the  words  of  the  eloquent  Chilean  writer,  B.  Vicuna  Mackenna, 
turned  the  whole  Argentine  Republic  into  a huge  slaughter-house — “Bajo  Rosas 
y sus  capataces  la  Republica  Argentina  fue  toda  entera  una  ramada  de  ma- 
tanza.  ’ ’ 


412 


IN  GUARANILAND 


whose  interest  it  has  been  able  to  pay  only  by  disposing 
of  its  choicest  lands  at  a nominal  price.  Many  of  the 
streets  of  Asuncion  are  covered  wfitli  grass  and  scrub, 
and  the  bouses,  in  certain  quarters,  are  neglected  and  fall- 
ing into  ruins.  The  people  seem  to  be  still  stunned  by 
the  terrible  events  of  fifty  years  ago.  But  their  courage  and 
powers  of  endurance  prevent  them  from  yielding  to  de- 
spair. In  the  darkness  and  the  sadness  of  their  lives  they 
descry  in  the  distant  future  better  and  brighter  days. 
This  heartens  them  to  make  a supreme  effort  to  regain 
what  they  lost  by  the  insane  policy  of  a single  man.  In- 
dustries are  again  being  organized  and  commerce  is  be- 
ing stimulated  in  a manner  to  inspire  hope  that  national 
prosperity  will  again  return.  Schools  are  being  established 
in  every  part  of  the  Republic,  and  the  rising  generation 
are  slowly,  but  surely,  preparing  themselves  to  win  back 
for  their  country  the  commanding  position  which  she  for- 
merly occupied  and  to  which  her  extraordinary  natural 
resources  entitles  her.  It  was  my  privilege  to  visit  a 
number  of  the  best-conducted  schools  of  Asuncion,  and  in 
every  one  of  them  I was  so  impressed  by  the  beaming  in- 
telligence and  the  love  of  learning  of  the  pupils,  as  well 
as  by  the  zeal  and  competency  of  their  teachers,  that  I 
could  have  no  doubt  about  the  cheering  outlook  for  the 
Republic.  The  isolation  of  the  countiy  has  hitherto  been 
a great  barrier  to  progress,  but  now  that  the  railroad  sup- 
plements the  splendid  steamers  of  the  Mihanovitch  and 
other  enterprising  lines,  everything  betokens  a rapid  de- 
velopment of  pastoral  and  agricultural  industries  as  well 
as  a greatly  expanded  commerce.  When  the  fatal  revo- 
lutionary spirit,  which  still  menaces  the  nation’s  peace 
and  prosperity,  will  at  last  be  laid  low,  then,  of  a truth, 
will  the  noble  and  deserving  people  of  Guaraniland — so 
hospitable,  so  courageous  and  so  patriotic — be  able  to  re- 
alize their  age-long  aspirations  and  work  out  what  their 
friends  have  always  regarded  as  their  manifest  destiny. 

413 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


ON  THE  STORIED  PARAGUAY 

The  imposing  spires  and  cupolas  of  Asuncion  have  dis- 
appeared in  the  distance.  We  are  now  on  the  Canoniere 
Riquelme — an  armed  cruiser  of  the  Paraguayan  navy, 
which  also  serves  as  a yacht  for  the  President  of  the  Re- 
public. Through  the  courtesy  of  His  Excellency,  Senor 
Don  Eduardo  Schaerer — the  son  of  a German-Swiss  father 
and  a Paraguayan  mother — 1 this  little  cruiser  is  to  take 
us  to  Corumba,  nearly  a week’s  steaming  up  the  Paraguay. 
Besides  the  crew,  and  the  members  of  our  party,  there 
are  aboard  three  or  four  of  our  hosts  from  Asuncion  who 
are  to  accompany  us  to  Corumba. 

The  comandante  of  the  vessel  is  a most  charming  gen- 
tleman and  well  educated.  During  his  early  youth  he  spent 
many  years  in  the  ecclesiastical  seminary  of  Asuncion, 
studying  for  the  priesthood.  But,  finding  that  he  had  no 
vocation  to  the  Church  he  decided  to  enter  the  service  of 
his  country,  in  the  navy.  Although  still  young,  he  occu- 
pies one  of  the  highest  and  most  responsible  positions  in 
the  Paraguayan  marine  force.  No  one  among  his  asso- 
ciates enjoys  more  fully  the  confidence  of  his  superiors  or 
the  esteem  of  his  countrymen.  He  is  thoroughly  simpatico, 
and  I am  sure  that  the  week  which  we  spent  with 
him  aboard  the  Riquelme  was  one  of  unalloyed  pleasure 

1 It  is  interesting  to  note  in  this  connection,  that  Juan  Martin  Pucyrredon, 
the  first  president  of  Argentina,  who  so  loyally  supported  General  San  Martin 
in  his  Chilean  campaign,  was  the  son  of  a Swiss  merchant,  although  he  him- 
self was  born  in  Argentina,  as  President  Schaerer  was  born  in  Paraguay. 

414 


ON  THE  STORIED  PARAGUAY 


and  profit.  It  is  hard  to  realize  that  this  quiet,  low-voiced, 
unassuming,  retiring  man  is  a naval  officer,  and  that  he 
is  one  of  the  bravest  and  most  efficient  in  a nation  which 
is  proverbial  for  the  courage  and  fighting  qualities  of 
her  sons.  But  having  both  Spanish  and  Guarani  blood 
in  his  veins,  he  has  all  the  impetuous  dash  and  intrepidity 
of  the  typical  Paraguayan  soldier,  whose  motto  is  veneer 
6 morir — conquer  or  die. 

For  weeks  most  of  us  had  been  looking  forward  with 
pleasant  anticipation  to  our  voyage  up  the  Paraguay  as 
an  opportunity  for  a much  desired  rest.  For,  while  our 
journey  hitherto  through  South  America’s  Southland  had 
been  supremely  interesting,  and  the  hospitality  and  kind- 
ness of  the  people  had  everywhere  been  beyond  praise, 
the  life  we  had  led  with  all  its  bustle  and  changes  and 
functions  innumerable  had  been  rather  strenuous.  We 
therefore  gladly  welcomed  a week  of  genuine  relaxation. 
We  never  anticipated,  however,  the  good  fortune  which 
awaited  us  of  having  all  to  ourselves  a well-equipped 
cruiser  in  which  to  enjoy  our  dolce  far  niente  free  from 
all  the  exactions  of  dress  parade  and  the  daily  entertain- 
ments extending  beyond  the  midnight  hour.  And  yet, 
after  the  princely  manner  in  which  we  had  been  treated 
in  Brazil,  Uruguay,  Argentina  and  Chile,  we  might  have 
known  that  Paraguay  would  not  have  been  less  consid- 
erate of  our  welfare  while  we  were  within  her  borders. 

That  we  were  to  have  a week’s  rest  on  a vessel  on 
which  we  had  all  the  comforts  and  conveniences  of  a pri- 
vate yacht — with  the  best  of  captains  and  a crew  whose 
only  thought  was  our  comfort  and  pleasure — was  some- 
thing for  which  we  had  every  reason  to  be  grateful.  But 
that  we  were  to  enjoy  all  these  advantages  on  the  storied 
Paraguay — a river  which  witnessed  some  of  the  most  bril- 
liant and  most  romantic  achievements  of  the  Conquista- 
dores — was  far  more  than  we  ever  looked  forward  to, 
even  in  our  fondest  dreams. 

415 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


From  my  boyhood,  rivers  and  woodlands  have  always 
possessed  a peculiar  fascination  for  me.  As  a youth,  my 
ideal  of  happiness  was  to  live  in  a boat  moving  up  and 
down  a forest-fringed  river  in  the  tropics.  My  dreams 
were  now  at  last  to  be  realized,  and  on  the  most  romantic 
of  South  America’s  great  rivers.  The  Orinoco  and  the 
Magdalena  and  the  Amazon,  it  is  true,  had  always  strongly 
appealed  to  me,  but  not  quite  in  the  same  way  as  the  Para- 
guay. This  was,  probably,  because  I had  read  of  the  mar- 
vels of  the  last-named  river  before  I had  learned  of  the 
many  interesting  features  of  the  other  three. 

The  Paraguay  does  not,  indeed,  possess  the  countless 
attractions  of  the  Rhine,  with  its  vineyard-  and  castle- 
crowned  banks — so  rich  in  legend,  so  great  in  history — 
which  so  entranced  Victor  Hugo;  nor  the  glories  of  the 
Loire  which,  according  to  Honore  de  Balzac,  flows  through 
land  “perfumed  like  Italy  and  flowered  like  the  banks  of 
the  Guadalquivir,”  and  bears  on  its  banks,  in  the  sumptu- 
ous palaces  and  castles  of  Cliambord,  Blois,  Amboise, 
Chenonceaux,  Chaumont,  Plessis-les-Tours,  so  many  and 
so  splendid  marks  of  royal  affection ; nor  the  reputed  sanc- 
tity of  Mother  Ganges,  as  she  is  lovingly  named  hy  devout 
Hindus;  nor  the  air  of  mystery  that  hangs  over  Father 
Nile,  both  of  which  rivers  so  bound  Pierre  Loti  by  their 
spell.  But,  notwithstanding  the  absence  in  the  Paraguay 
of  the  countless  attractions — historic,  legendary,  religious 
— of  the  Rhine  and  the  Loire,  the  Ganges  and  the  Nile, 
South  America’s  majestic  river  does,  nevertheless,  pos- 
sess many  and  varied  charms  which  make  a special  ap- 
peal not  only  to  the  student  of  history  and  legend,  but 
also,  and  particularly,  to  the  lover  of  wild  nature  in  her 
rarest  and  most  bizarre  manifestations. 

Most  of  our  time  during  the  day  was  spent  on  the 
deck,  under  a broad  awning  which  shielded  us  from  the 
tropical  sun,  and  where  we  were  usually  favored  with  a 
delightful  breeze,  especially  in  the  morning  and  evening. 

416 


ON  THE  STORIED  PARAGUAY 


The  nights  were  particularly  pleasant  and  refreshing. 
The  balmy  air  and  the  softly-gliding  motion  of  our  cruiser 
through  the  tranquil  river  which  was  bordered  on  both 
sides  by  picturesque  palmares — groups  of  palm  trees — 
wooed  to  rest  and  reverie. 

While  not  occupied  in  contemplating  the  ever-changing 
landscape,  wTe  usually  spent  our  time  in  reading  or  writ- 
ing, or  in  discussing  the  floral  and  faunal  exhibitions  which 
so  frequently  arrested  our  attention. 

During  our  first  day  on  the  river  two  of  our  party 
spent  considerable  time  in  fishing.  Our  junior  member, 
Harper,  had  heard  much  about  the  ferocious  piranha,  or 
Carib  fish,  and  he  was  determined  to  catch  one.  But,  al- 
though the  river  was  full  of  the  finny  tribe,  he  was  unable 
to  catch  the  much-coveted  Carib.  His  bait  disappeared 
almost  as  soon  as  it  reached  the  water  and,  time  after 
time,  his  hook  was  snapped  off  the  wire  to  which  it  was 
attached.  One  morning,  while  he  and  a companion  were 
fishing  together,  the  four-ply  brass  wire  which  held  the 
hook  was  cut,  as  if  by  a pair  of  steel  pliers,  no  less  than 
ten  times  in  the  space  of  three  hours.  He  was  sorely 
puzzled  and  inquired  of  one  of  the  Paraguayans  aboard 
what  was  the  cause  of  this.  His  amazement  was  great 
when  he  was  told  that  it  was  due  to  the  hard,  razor-sharp 
teeth  of  the  piranha.1  But  the  information  made  a mate- 
rial change  in  at  least  one  of  his  plans.  Being  an  English- 
man, he  was  fond  of  his  tub,  and,  not  content  with  the 
shower  bath  on  board,  he  had  resolved  to  take  an  occa- 
sional plunge  in  the  river  when  the  steamer  stopped  for 
wood  or  provisions.  We  tried  to  dissuade  him  from  this 
by  telling  him  of  the  danger  to  be  apprehended  from  alli- 
gators and,  above  all,  from  the  ubiquitous  Carib  which 

1 Padre  Guevara,  in  his  ‘ ‘ Historia  del  Paraguay,  ’ ’ tells  us  that  the  Guay- 
curu  Indians  use  the  jawbone  of  the  piranha — which  he  calls  the  palometa — as 
a saw.  He  also  declares  that  it  is  capable  of  severing  a fishhook  no  less  than 
twenty  times  in  the  space  of  an  hour. 

417 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


has  been  known  to  make  short  shrift  of  both  animals  and 
men  when  found  in  the  water.  These  voracious  fish 
are,  in  fact,  more  feared  by  the  riparian  inhabitants  of 
the  tropics  than  the  ray  or  the  alligator.  An  animal  with 
a bleeding  wound  entering  the  water  is  immediately  at- 
tacked by  a whole  shoal  of  piranhas  and  in  a very  short 
time  the  flesh  is  stripped  to  the  bone.  Many  tragic  deaths 
are  recorded  of  men  who  rashly  ventured  into  waters  in- 
fested by  these  ferocious  and  bloodthirsty  creatures. 

After  Harper  had  listened  with  undisguised  interest 
to  the  stories  about  these  aquatic  cannibals,  he  spoke  no 
more  about  bathing  in  the  Paraguay.  But  his  curiosity 
was  greatly  excited  by  what  he  had  heard,  and,  as  he 
had  never  seen  a piranha,  he  determined  to  continue  his 
piscatory  efforts  until  he  should  succeed  in  securing  one 
for  examination.  One  morning  while  Colonel  Roosevelt 
and  I were  occupied  in  reading  we  heard  an  unearthly  yell 
and,  looking  in  the  direction  of  the  agonizing  sound,  we 
saw  Harper,  pale  and  terror-stricken,  trying  to  escape  the 
imagined  attacks  of  a large,  repulsive  bullhead — with  ex- 
tra long  barbels — which  he  had  just  landed  and  which 
was  floundering  upon  the  deck  in  a most  desperate  manner. 

Harper  thought  he  had  at  last  caught  the  longed-for 
man-eater,  and,  when  he  saw  the  horrid-looking  thing  help- 
lessly flopping  about  him,  he  shouted  excitedly  and  strove 
at  once  to  escape  from  the  fancied  attack  of  the  monster. 
He  admitted  afterwards  that  the  harmless  fish  seemed 
as  big  as  a full-grown  shark  and  that  the  instinct  of  self- 
preservation  was,  for  a few  moments,  quite  preternatural. 
I regret  that  I cannot  here  reproduce  the  spirited  sketch 
of  this  little  episode  which  was  made  by  our  staff  artist, 
as  it  would  be  far  more  vivid  than  any  verbal  account  of 
the  incident. 

About  midnight  of  the  day  after  leaving  Asuncion  we 
arrived  at  the  historic  old  city  of  Concepcion.  We  did 
not,  however,  go  ashore  until  the  following  morning,  when 

418 


ON  THE  STORIED  PARAGUAY 


at  an  early  hour  Colonel  Roosevelt  and  I started  out  for 
a quiet  stroll  through  the  town.  We  had  not  gone  more 
than  a few  blocks  when  we  found  ourselves  in  the  hands 
of  the  civil  and  military  authorities,  who  extended  to  us 
every  courtesy  until  the  time  of  our  departure  some  hours 
afterwards.  Many  of  them  accompanied  us  several  miles 
up  the  river,  when,  after  a kindly  Adios!  and  a cordial 
Dios  guarde  d Usted  to  each  of  our  party,  they  returned 
home  in  a steamer  which  was  waiting  for  them. 

Three  days  after  leaving  Asuncion,  we  were  joined  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Apa — the  river  which  constitutes 
the  northern  boundary  between  Paraguay  and  Brazil — 
by  a part  of  the  Brazilian  contingent  of  our  expedition, 
under  the  leadership  of  Colonel  Rondon.  The  members 
of  it  had  come  overland  from  Rio  de  Janeiro  and  were 
awaiting  us  on  the  Nyoac,  a steamer  of  the  Lloyd  Brasilero 
Line.  Among  them  were  several  naturalists  and  explor- 
ers, some  of  whom  were  already  familiar  with  the  part  of 
the  Brazilian  wilderness  towards  which  we  were  headed. 

Some  time  before  leaving  New  York,  Colonel  Roosevelt 
and  I thought  it  would  be  desirable  to  secure,  if  possible, 
the  cooperation  of  Colonel  Candido  Mariano  da  Silva  Ron- 
don, who  had  spent  many  years  in  the  part  of  Brazil  which 
we  purposed  traversing.  Through  the  kindly  interest  of 
the  Brazilian  Ambassador  in  Washington,  and  of  Dr.  Lauro 
Muller,  Brazil’s  eminent  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  the 
matter  was  quickly  arranged,  and  when  we  reached  Rio 
de  Janeiro  we  were  gratified  to  learn  that  Colonel  Rondon 
had  been  detailed  to  accompany  our  expedition. 

Our  original  plan  was  to  go  from  the  headwaters  of 
the  Paraguay  to  the  Amazon  by  way  of  the  Arinos  and 
the  Tapajos.  But  our  program  was  changed  on  our  ar- 
rival in  Brazil.  Then  it  was  that  Dr.  Muller,  who  from 
the  first  had  displayed  the  liveliest  interest  in  our  journey 
through  the  interior  of  his  country,  suggested  that  it  might 
be  more  interesting  to  try  to  reach  the  Amazon  by  an 

419 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


unexplored  river,  then  known  as  Rio  da  Duvida — the 
river  of  doubt.  It  was  so  called  because  its  course  was 
unknown  and  geographers  were  in  doubt  as  to  whether  it 
was  a tributary  of  the  Amazon,  the  Madeira,  the  Tapajos, 
or  some  other  river,  or  whether  it  might  not,  perhaps,  ter- 
minate in  some  vast  swamp  or  interior  lake. 

The  project  appealed  to  all  of  us  and  it  was  immedi- 
ately decided  that  the  expedition  should  attempt  the  ex- 
ploration of  the  Duvida  in  place  of  descending  the  Tapajos. 
As  soon  as  our  purpose  became  known,  a number  of  nat- 
uralists, Brazilians  and  others,  expressed  a desire  to  ac- 
company us.  But  it  was  not  until  we  arrived  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Apa  that  we  knew  who  our  associates  were  to  be. 
We  were  delighted  to  find  that  they  were  a thoroughly 
equipped  and  enthusiastic  body  of  young  men,  whose  in- 
terest in  science  and  exploration  was  as  keen  as  that  of 
our  own  men. 

After  an  exchange  of  visits  between  the  Brazilian  and 
American  contingents  of  our  expedition,  the  Nyoac  and  the 
cruiser Riquelme  continued  together  their  course  up  the  river. 
Both  of  them  made  occasional  stops  for  wood  and  provi- 
sions, or  to  afford  us  an  opportunity  of  visiting  such  places 
of  interest  as  Fort  Olimpo,  near  the  Bolivian  boundary, 
and  Fort  Coimbra,  whose  capture  by  the  Paraguayans, 
during  the  War  of  the  Triple  Alliance,  gave  them  the  key 
to  Matto  Grosso. 

The  region  drained  by  the  Paraguay  is  for  the  most 
part  a vast  level  plain,  without  the  sign  of  a hill  or  a 
mountain  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach.  In  this  respect, 
it  is  like  the  immense  area  which  borders  the  mighty 
Amazon.  The  land  adjoining  the  river  is  rarely  more  than 
a few  yards  above  the  water,  even  during  the  dry  season. 
The  consequence  is  that  during  the  rainy  season,  which 
corresponds  to  our  winter,  a large  part  of  the  country  is 
inundated.  The  backwaters  which  are  thus  produced  form 
numerous  bahias,  or  lagoons,  which  at  times  cover  so  much 

420 


ON  THE  STORIED  PARAGUAY 


territory  that  they  seem  to  be  a restoration  of  the  bound- 
less Pampean  Sea  which  once  covered  a great  part  of  this 
portion  of  the  continent. 

During  the  dry  season,  large  herds  of  cattle,  some 
scraggy,  others  sleek  and  fat,  may  be  seen  grazing  on  the 
rich  pasture  lands  to  the  very  banks  of  the  river.  But 
when  the  rainy  season  sets  in — usually  in  November — both 
herds  and  herdsmen  are  forced  to  retire  to  higher  ground 
far  from  the  invading  flood. 

The  pueblos  along  the  river’s  banks  are  few  in  number 
and  rarely  count  more  than  one  or  two  hundred  people. 
Most  of  their  inhabitants  are  mestizos,  but  now  and  then 
one  meets  representatives  of  the  various  nations  of  Eu- 
rope. At  one  of  the  places  where  we  stopped  to  take  on 
wood  there  was  a large  saw-mill  operated  by  a son  of 
la  belle  France.  Further  up  the  river,  at  an  estancia  where 
we  secured  a supply  of  fresh  beef,  the  manager,  to  judge 
by  his  rich  brogue,  seemed  to  be  a new  arrival  from  the 
Emerald  Isle.  But  he  was  not.  He  was  an  Argentine, 
whose  parents  had  emigrated  from  the  County  Meath. 
Near  Concepcion  there  is  an  immense  tract  of  country 
which  belongs  to  the  Farquhar  syndicate,  on  which  there 
were,  at  the  time  of  our  passage,  nearly  forty  thousand 
cattle.  The  manager  of  this  vast  property  was  an  Ameri- 
can, from  Texas. 

At  the  new  and  flourishing  town  of  Puerto  Murtinho — - 
a leading  center  of  the  mate  industry — I met  an  interest- 
ing and  intelligent  gentleman  from  Barcelona,  Spain.  I 
had  scarcely  set  foot  on  shore  when  he  and  his  charming 
little  ten-year-old  daughter  introduced  themselves,  and 
courteously  invited  me  to  their  home.  I have  rarely  met 
a brighter  or  a more  beautiful  child  than  this  vivacious 
little  daughter  of  Catalonia.  She  spoke  Spanish  and  Por- 
tuguese as  fluently  as  her  native  Catalan  and  took  inno- 
cent pride  in  her  linguistic  accomplishments.  Her  mother 
gave  me  a most  gracious  welcome  to  her  neat  and  cozy 

421 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


cottage.  In  a moment  the  little  brothers  and  sisters  of 
Carmencita  — my  youthful  companion  — were  gathered 
about  me.  Like  my  little  cicerone,  they  were  all  as  beau- 
tiful as  pictures,  and  might  well  have  served  as  models 
for  the  cherubs  of  Murillo  or  the  putti  of  Correggio. 

As  the  fond  father  contemplated  his  heart’s  darlings, 
he  turned  toward  me,  saying  with  a sigh:  “Alas!  Padre 
mio,  we  have  neither  church  nor  school  here,  and  it  is 
impossible,  without  them,  for  us  to  bring  up  our  children 
as  we  would  wish.  We  hope,  however,  to  have  both  church 
and  school  before  long.” 

As  we  returned  to  the  landing-place,  Carmencita,  ac- 
companied by  her  father,  continued  to  prattle  away — with 
a total  absence  of  self-consciousness — as  if  she  had  known 
me  all  her  life.  And  when  the  boat’s  whistle  summoned 
all  aboard  and  she,  after  her  father,  bade  me  adieu  in  the 
touching  words  of  her  motherland — Vaya  Usted  con  Dios 
— the  beautiful  words  of  the  Italian  poet  came  to  my  lips : 

“0  gentilina,  gentilina  tutta! 

Garofanate  son  vostre  parole.”1 

Wherever  we  stopped  on  our  way  up  the  river — and 
we  stopped  at  many  places — most  of  us  went  ashore.  I 
always  availed  myself  of  these  opportunities  to  visit  the 
people  in  their  homes.  And  no  matter  how  poor  they 
were,  or  how  humble  their  rude  abodes,  they  always  gave 
me  a kindly  welcome  and  expressed  pleasure  that  I had 
called  to  see  them.  Nothing  more  astonished  me  than  the 
large  families  which  I sometimes  found.  In  one  place  a 
young  mother  of  thirty-two  years  proudly  showed  me  her 
family  of  twelve  bright,  healthy  children,  and  seemed  as 
devoted  to  each  one  of  them  as  was  the  Roman  matron, 
Cornelia,  to  her  two  noble  sons. 

*0  gentle  maid,  all  gentle! 

Carnationed  are  thy  words. 

422 


ON  THE  STORIED  PARAGUAY 


Most  of  the  houses  along  the  Paraguay  are  made  of 
wattle-and-daub,  thatched  with  palm  leaves.  I was,  how- 
ever, quite  surprised  at  the  number  of  buildings  here 
which  are  composed  entirely  of  corrugated  iron.  This  ma- 
terial is  frequently  used  for  warehouses  and  pulperias,  or 
country  stores.  Every  home,  outside  of  the  pueblos,  is 
surrounded  by  a plantation  of  maize  and  manioc,  which, 
together  with  fruit  and  fish,  supply  the  chief  sustenance 
of  the  Indians  and  poorer  mestizos.  Good  fish  of  several 
kinds  abound  in  the  Paraguay,  and  at  almost  any  hour  of 
the  day  an  Indian,  or  a half-caste,  may  be  seen  in  his  nar- 
row dugout  plying  the  spear  or  hook  to  secure  a meal  for 
himself  and  family. 

Like  all  the  rivers  of  tropical  South  America,  the  Para- 
guay is  remarkable  for  the  number  of  alligators  seen  along 
its  banks.  They  are  locally  called  caymans  or  jacares,  but 
are  classed  by  zoologists  among  the  Alligatoridcc.  As  seen 
at  a distance,  basking  in  the  sun  on  a mud  bank,  they 
have  the  appearance  of  small  logs  or  bulky  pieces  of  drift- 
wood. 

There  is  little,  one  would  think,  in  these  repulsive 
saurians  to  stir  the  lyric  muse.  Yet  the  Argentine  poet, 
D.  Manuel  Jose  de  Labarden,  does  not  hesitate  to  intro- 
duce them  in  his  ode  “A1  Parana.”  He  pictures  the  god 
of  the  great  river,  crowned  with  twisted  bulrushes  and 
wild  camalotes, 


En  el  carro  de  nacar  refulgente, 

Tirado  de  caimanes  recamados 
De  verde  y oro.1 

Most  of  the  members  of  our  party  could  see  nothing  in 
the  jacare,  except  an  attractive  target  for  their  rifles. 
Fortunately,  however,  for  the  poor  alligators  most  of 


1 In  a car  of  shining  mother-of-pearl,  drawn  by  fretted  caymans  of  green 
and  gold. 

423 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


the  shots  went  very  wide  of  the  mark  and  but  few  of  them 
were  killed. 

Nobody  seemed  to  object  to  the  shooting  of  jacares,  but 
when  some  of  those  on  the  cruiser  began  to  try  their 
marksmanship  on  inoffensive  birds  there  was,  at  once, 
a vigorous  and  effectual  protest,  as  the  following  inci- 
dent will  show. 

Colonel  Roosevelt  and  I were  one  day  reading  on  the 
quarterdeck  when,  presently,  we  heard  repeated  shots  to- 
wards the  bow.  On  inquiry  we  discovered  that  the  mem- 
bers of  the  crew,  in  order  to  while  away  the  time,  were 
firing  at  the  birds  which,  in  large  numbers,  were  perched 
on  the  trees  on  both  sides  of  the  river.  As  soon  as  he 
saw  what  was  going  on,  my  companion  became  visibly  agi- 
tated. The  idea  of  killing  and  mutilating  innocent  birds 
as  a mere  pastime  was  too  much  for  him.  Rising  hastily 
to  his  feet,  he  exclaimed  with  characteristic  emphasis:  “By 
George,  this  thing  must  stop.”  And  stop  it  did,  in  short 
order.  And,  thenceforward,  there  was  no  more  wanton 
slaughter  of  birds,  or  other  innocuous  animals  of  any 
kind  whatever. 

On  the  right  bank  of  the  Paraguay  there  is  a vast 
region  known  as  the  El  Gran  Chaco.1  It  extends  from  the 
marshes  of  Santiago  del  Estero,  in  Argentina,  to  the 
Llanos  of  the  Chiquitos  in  Bolivia,  and  from  the  Paraguay 
to  the  mountain  ranges  of  Tucuman  and  Santa  Cruz  de  la 
Sierra.  As  it  has  always  been  regarded  as  a land  of  mys- 
tery, my  first  view  of  it  excited  deep  emotion.  It  is  said 
to  have  been,  at  the  time  of  the  conquest,  the  refuge  of 
certain  Indian  tribes  who,  before  the  arrival  of  the  Span- 
iards, had  lived  under  the  rule  of  the  Incas.  Whether  this 
is  true  or  not,  some  of  the  many  tribes  inhabiting  this  ex- 

1 Philologists  are  not  at  one  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  word  “Chaco.” 
Some  say  it  signifies  “a  hunting  ground,”  on  account  of  the  large  number 
of  wild  animals  within  its  borders,  while  others  contend  that  it  means  “a 
swamp,  ’ ’ because  of  the  large  bahados — marshes — which  constitute  so  large 
a part  of  its  area. 


424 


ON  THE  STORIED  PARAGUAY 


tensive  territory  have,  for  centuries,  been  almost  as  war- 
like as  the  Araucanians  and  have  ever  been  distinguished 
for  their  extreme  hostility  towards  Europeans.  Among 
the  most  noted  of  these  tribes  are  the  Tobas,  whose  name 
has  long  been  a synonym  for  cruelty  and  bloodshed. 

But,  although  the  veil  of  mystery  still  hangs  over  much 
of  the  Great  Chaco,  it  is  not  true  to  say,  as  is  sometimes 
asserted  by  modern  travelers,  that  its  inhabitants  are  “an 
unknown  people  of  an  unknown  land.”  It  would  be  truer 
to  declare  that  they  are  a forgotten  people  of  a forgotten 
land.  For,  as  far  back  as  the  time  of  the  Conquistadores, 
San  Francisco  Solano,  in  the  words  of  Charlevoix,  “pub- 
lished the  Gospel  in  every  part  of  this  country.”1  The 
Jesuits,  too,  extended  their  missionary  activities  to  the 
Chaco  at  an  early  date,  while  the  most  complete  descrip- 
tion of  the  country  and  its  inhabitants  ever  written  is  the 
great  work  of  Padre  Lozano  which  was  published  nearly 
two  centuries  ago.2 

The  Franciscans  still  have  numerous  missions  in  the 
Chaco  and  are  ably  continuing  the  work  which  was  so 
auspiciously  begun  by  their  sainted  confrere,  San  Fran- 
cisco Solano,  nearly  three  and  a half  centuries  ago.  And 
some  of  their  most  devoted  neophytes  are  among  those 
terrible  Tobas  who  have  so  long  been  anathema  in  cer- 
tain parts  of  Bolivia  and  Argentina.  If,  however,  one 

1Op.  cit.,  Vol.  I,  p.  183. 

1 The  title  of  this  valuable  and  comprehensive  work  is : “ Descripcion 

Chorografica  del  Terreno,  Rios,  Arboles,  y Animales  de  las  dilatadisimas  Pro- 
vincias  del  Gran  Chaco,  Gualamba:  y de  los  Ritos,  y Costumbres  de  los  inu- 
merables  Naciones  barbaras,  e infieles  que  le  habitan:  Con  Una  Cabal  Relacion 
Historica  de  lo  que  en  ellos  han  obrado  para  conquistarlas  algunos  Goberna- 
dores,  y Ministros  Reales:  y los  Missioneros  Jesuitas  para  reducirlos  a la  Fe 
del  verdadero  Dios.  ’ ’ Cordoba,  1733. 

An  equally  valuable  work  on  the  early  missions  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  Chaco  and  the  adjoining  territory  is  the  “Relacion  Historical  de  los  Indies 
Chiquitos,  ” by  Padre  J.  P.  Fernandez,  Tom.  XIII  in  the  “Coleceion  de  Li- 
bros  Raros  y Curiosos  que  Tratan  de  America,”  Madrid,  1895.  The  first  edi- 
tion of  this  work  was  published  in  Madrid  in  1726. 

425 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


may  credit  the  Franciscans,  who  know  them  best,  and 
rely  on  the  statements  of  certain  Americans  who  have 
spent  several  years  among  them,  the  Tobas,  when  treated 
like  human  beings,  are  far  from  being  the  fiendish  savages 
that  report  makes  them.  “If  the  whites  would  only  deal 
honestly  with  the  Tobas  and  keep  away  from  their  women, 
there  would  be  no  trouble.”  This  was  a statement  made 
to  me  by  an  American,  who  has  long  had  dealings  with 
the  Tobas,  when  I questioned  him  about  certain  atrocities, 
during  recent  years,  of  which  these  Indians  have  been 
accused. 

The  languages  spoken  by  the  various  tribes  of  the 
Chaco  are  as  difficult  as  they  are  numerous.  Father 
Dobrizhoffer,  who  spent  eighteen  years  among  the  Para- 
guayan Indians,  in  referring  to  the  difficulty  which  Euro- 
peans have  in  becoming  accustomed  to  their  tongues,  and 
to  the  strange  and  distorted  words  which  the  Indians  pro- 
nounce so  fast  and  indistinctly,  declares  that  they  hiss 
with  their  tongues,  snore  with  their  nostrils,  grind  with 
their  teeth,  and  gurgle  with  their  throats,  “so  that  you 
seem  to  hear  the  sound  of  ducks  quacking  in  a pond  rather 
than  the  voices  of  men  talking.  ’ ’ 1 

It  was  among  these  Indians  that  the  good  father  re- 
ceived one  of  the  greatest  shocks  of  his  missionary  career. 
With  Cicero  and  Tertullian,  he  had  always  believed  that 
there  was  no  nation,  or  tribe,  however  savage,  that  was 
ignorant  of  the  existence  of  God.2  “Theologians,”  writes 
Dobrizhoffer,  “agree  in  denying  that  any  man  in  the  pos- 
session of  his  reason  can,  without  crime,  remain  ignorant 

’“History  of  the  Abipones, ’’  Vol.  II,  p.  159,  London,  1822. 

2 Cicero ’s  words  on  this  subject,  which  have  so  impressed  philosophers  and 
theologians  for  more  than  two  thousand  years  are : ‘ ‘ Ipsisque  in  hominibus 

nulla  gens  est,  neque  tarn  immansueta  neque  tarn  fera,  quae  non,  etiamsi  ig- 
noret,  qualem  habere  Deum  deceat,  tamen  habendum  seiat. ’’  “De  Legibus,  ” 
Lib.  I,  Cap.  VIII,  25. 

Tertullian ’s  view,  as  given  in  his  “ Apologeticus, ’ ’ is  in  fewer  words:  viz., 
“Haec  est  summa  delicti  nolle  recognoscere  quern  ignorare  non  possit. ’’ 

426 


Our  Cruiser  Biquilme  on  the  Way  to  Corumba. 


Toba  Family  and  Rancho. 


ON  THE  STORIED  PARAGUAY 


of  God  for  any  length  of  time.  This  opinion  I warmly  de- 
fended in  the  University  of  Cordoba,  where  I finished  the 
four  years’  course  of  theology  begun  at  Gratz,  in  Styria. 
But  what  was  my  astonishment  when,  on  removing  thence 
to  a colony  of  Abipones,  I found  that  the  whole  language 
of  these  savages  does  not  contain  a single  word  which  ex- 
presses God  or  a divinity.  To  instruct  them  in  religion 
it  was  necessary  to  borrow  the  Spanish  word  for  God,  and 
insert  in  the  catechism  Dios  ecnam  caogarik,  God  the  cre- 
ator of  things.”  1 

The  difficulties  of  the  various  languages  which  the  mis- 
sionaries had  to  learn  and  the  total  absence  of  words  ex- 
pressing the  fundamental  truths  of  religion  give  one  some 
idea  of  the  obstacles  they  had  to  overcome  before  they 
could  do  effective  work  among  the  rude  children  of  the 
Pampa  and  the  Great  Chaco.  Substantially  the  same  diffi- 
culties confront  the  missionaries  among  many  of  the  wild 
Indian  tribes  of  South  America  even  today. 

For  more  than  a week  we  skirted  the  eastern  borders 
of  the  Gran  Chaco,  and  as  I gazed  on  its  broad  morasses 
and  dark  forests  and  came  in  contact  here  and  there  with 
some  of  its  half-civilized  inhabitants  and  thought  of  the 
almost  complete  oblivion  into  which  the  achievements  of 
the  first  evangelists  and  explorers — worthy  of  being  ranked 
among  the  world’s  great  heroes — have  fallen,  I could  not 
but  recall  the  words  of  Sir  Thomas  Browne  in  his  “Hydri- 
otaphia”  in  which  he  thus  descants  on  the  vanity  of  human 
wishes : 

Our  fathers  find  their  graves  in  our  short  memories,  and  sadly 
tell  us  how  we  may  be  buried  in  our  survivors. 

Oblivion  is  not  to  be  hired.  The  greater  part  must  be  content 
to  be  as  though  they  had  not  been — to  be  found  in  the  register  of 
God,  not  in  the  record  of  men. 

After  a delightful  voyage  of  six  days,  we  arrived  at 

1 Op.  cit.,  Vol.  II,  p.  57. 


427 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


the  site  of  the  old  fort  of  Candelaria,  noted,  in  the  annals 
of  the  conquest,  as  the  spot  at  which  Juan  de  Ayolas  and 
his  companions  met  their  deaths  at  the  hands  of  the  In- 
dians. Ayolas  was  the  lieutenant  and  intimate  friend  of 
Pedro  de  Mendoza,  the  founder  of  Buenos  Aires,  and  had 
been  sent  by  his  chief  to  open  up,  by  way  of  the  Para- 
guay, a road  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Considering  the  nature 
of  the  country  through  which  Ayolas  had  to  pass  and  the 
deficiency  of  his  equipment,  this  was  truly  a tremendous 
undertaking  and  one  of  the  most  daring  enterprises  of  the 
Conquistadores. 

Near  the  spot  where  Ayolas  was  murdered  the 
Riquelme  and  the  Nyoac  were  met  by  a flotilla  of  boats,  of 
all  sizes,  aboard  which  was  a large  delegation  of  people 
from  Corumba,  the  chief  Brazilian  port  on  the  Paraguay. 
All  the  vessels  were  gay  with  bunting  and  flew  both  the 
American  and  the  Brazilian  flags.  Bands  played  various 
national  airs ; vivas  and  words  of  welcome  burst  upon  our 
ears  from  all  sides.  The  whole  city  was  en  fete  and  every- 
body seemed  to  be  at  the  landing-place  or  in  the  streets 
through  which  we  passed  on  our  way  to  the  very  com- 
fortable hotel — above  whose  front  door  was  the  word 
“Welcome”  formed  by  brilliant  electric  lights — which  was 
to  be  our  home  during  our  sojourn  in  this  flourishing  city 
of  Matto  Grosso. 

Here  we  were  joined  by  Cherrie,  Miller,  Fiala  and  Sigg, 
whom  we  had  not  seen  since  they  had  left  us  in  Rio  de 
Janeiro.  Sigg  and  Fiala,  who  had  charge  of  our  equip- 
ment and  supplies,  had  everything  ready  for  shipment 
to  Sao  Luiz  de  Caceres,  further  up  the  Paraguay.  Cher- 
rie and  Miller  had  been  remarkably  successful  in  their 
work,  for  they  had  collected  more  than  eight  hundred  birds 
and  mammals,  among  which  were  several  new  species. 

The  second  day  after  our  arrival  in  Corumba,  Colonel 
Roosevelt  and  several  members  of  our  expedition  started 
for  a hunt  on  the  Rio  Javary,  an  affluent  of  the  Paraguay, 

428 


ON  THE  STORIED  PARAGUAY 


some  distance  below  the  city.  I was  glad  to  have  the 
opportunity,  during  their  absence,  to  make  the  acquaint- 
ance of  the  good  people  of  Corumba,  who  left  nothing  un- 
done to  make  my  sojourn  among  them  as  pleasant  as  pos- 
sible. The  city,  which  counts  about  twelve  thousand  in- 
habitants, occupies  a site  near  the  old  town  of  Albuquerque 
founded  in  1778  by  the  then  governor  of  Matto  Grosso, 
Luiz  de  Albuquerque  de  Mello  Pereir  e Caceres.  Although 
it  was  almost  entirely  destroyed  during  the  Paraguayan 
war,  a half-century  ago,  it  now  shows  but  few  traces  of  the 
great  disaster  which  then  overwhelmed  it.  It  is  the  chief 
commercial  center  of  Matto  Grosso  and  is  soon  to  be  con- 
nected by  rail  with  Sao  Paulo  and  Rio  de  Janeiro.  It  is 
lighted  by  electricity  and,  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  an  up- 
to-date  system  of  waterworks  was  being  introduced. 

But  wliat  interested  me  much  more  than  these  material 
evidences  of  prosperity  of  the  city  was  the  splendid  work 
that  was  being  done  here  for  the  instruction  of  youth  and 
for  the  relief  of  the  poor  and  the  sick.  I was  particularly  im- 
pressed by  the  achievements  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of 
Don  Bosco — the  Salesian  Fathers  and  the  Sisters  of  Maria 
Ausiliatrice.1  Although  I had  frequently  visited  their  in- 
stitutions in  many  other  parts  of  South  America,  their 
methods  of  instruction,  their  zeal  in  behalf  of  the  afflicted 
and  abandoned,  their  marvelous  success  in  dealing  with  the 
most  savage  Indian  tribes,  were  always  to  me  a source  of 
wonder  and  admiration.  But  what  astonished  me  still 
more  was  to  see  with  my  own  eyes  what  they  had  been 
able  to  accomplish  in  a few  short  years  in  the  most  diffi- 
cult of  missions  and  in  the  most  unpromising  parts  of  the 
world. 

The  venerable  Don  Bosco,  who  was  the  founder  of  the 
two  religious  organizations  just  named,  was  one  of  the 

1 The  official  name  of  the  congregation  of  the  Salesian  Fathers  is  Society 
of  St.  Francis  de  Sales.  The  full  name  of  the  community  to  which  the  sisters 
belong  is  Figlie  de  Maria  Ausiliatrice — Daughters  of  Mary  Help  of  Christians. 

429 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


most  extraordinary  men  of  his  time.  Born  in  1815  of  poor 
but  pious  parents,  in  the  little  hamlet  of  Becchi,  near 
Castelnuovo  in  Piedmont,  Giovanni  Bosco  began  life  as  a 
shepherd  boy.  At  the  age  of  twenty-six,  after  having 
completed  his  theological  studies,  he  was  raised  to  the 
priesthood.  Not  long  after  this  he  founded  the  two  so- 
cieties which  were  to  be  associated  with  him  in  the  great 
work  which  he  had  so  much  at  heart.  In  1874  the  rules 
and  constitutions  of  Don  Bosco ’s  new  Society  of  St.  Fran- 
cis de  Sales  were  formally  approved  by  Pope  Pius  IX. 
On  January  31,  1888,  the  sainted  priest  passed  to  his 
reward. 

But  what  wonders  he  was  able  to  achieve  during  his 
life,  and  what  wonders  have  been  accomplished  by  his  spir- 
itual children  since  his  lamented  demise!  If  there  was 
ever  a Utopian,  a dreamer  of  dreams,  it  was  Don  Bosco. 
Because  of  his  extraordinary  plans  for  the  education  and 
elevation  of  abandoned  children,  he  was  regarded  as  a 
visionary,  and  some  of  his  well-meaning  friends  even 
thought  he  should  be  placed  in  a sanitarium,  until  he 
became  more  rational.  If  he  were  living  today,  our  ex- 
pert alienists  would  declare  that  he  was  suffering  from 
paranoia  or  megalomania. 

When  he  was  alone  and  penniless,  without  resources 
of  any  kind,  he  talked  of  the  schools  and  workshops  he 
purposed  erecting  for  poor  children ; of  the  spacious  play- 
grounds and  the  large  and  beautiful  church  he  intended 
to  have  for  them.  With  a childlike  confidence  in  Divine 
Providence,  he  felt  sure  that  he  would  find  associates  to 
assist  him  in  his  work  and  that  he  would  eventually  ob- 
tain the  means  necessary  to  carry  on  the  noble  works  of 
charity  which  he  had  planned  on  a scale  that  was  nothing 
short  of  gigantic. 

One  of  the  projects  of  Don  Bosco,  which  the  worldly 
wise  considered  as  utterly  fatuous,  was  the  conversion  and 
civilizing  of  the  wretched  Indians  of  Tierra  del  Fuego. 

430 


River  Front.  Corumba. 


Sigg,  at  the  Right,  and  a Corumba  Family. 


ON  THE  STORIED  PARAGUAY 


This  was  deemed  absolutely  impossible  of  accomplishment. 
For  had  not  Darwin  declared  that  “man,  in  this  extreme 
part  of  South  America,  exists  in  a lower  state  of  improve- 
ment than  in  any  other  part  of  the  world?”  Had  he  not 
written  of  the  Fuegians  that  “one  can  hardly  make  oneself 
believe  that  they  are  fellow-creatures  and  inhabitants  of 
the  same  world  ? ” 1 

It  was  precisely  because  of  their  abject  misery,  because 
of  their  total  abandonment  by  all  the  world,  because  they 
were  regarded  as  the  Pariahs  of  humanity,  that  the  Fue- 
gians so  strongly  appealed  to  Don  Bosco’s  all-embracing 
heart. 

The  first  mission  was  established  in  1889  on  Dawson 
Island,  which  was  then  a dreary  waste.  On  this  same  spot 
eight  years  later  was  the  beautiful  village  of  St.  Raphael, 
with  a church,  a hospital,  workshops,  a college  for  boys, 
a home  for  the  missionaries,  a convent  school  for  girls 
under  the  direction  of  the  sisters  of  Maria  Ausiliatrice 
and  sixty  comfortable  homes  for  the  Indians.  Only  a few 
years  after  the  establishment  of  the  college,  the  people 
of  Punta  Arenas  were  amazed  to  hear,  in  the  public  square 
of  the  city,  an  admirable  band  concert  given  by  the  Fuegian 
boys  of  St.  Raphael.  These  same  boys  were  equally  pro- 
ficient in  singing  and  elocution.  Monsignore  Fagnano,  pre- 
fect apostolic  of  Southern  Patagonia  and  Tierra  del  Fuego, 
referring  to  the  histrionic  powers  of  the  Fuegian  youths 
who  had  given  a dramatic  entertainment  in  his  honor,  on 
the  occasion  of  a visit  at  St.  Raphael’s,  declares  in  a let- 
ter to  the  superior  general  of  the  Salesians:  “1  do  not 
exaggerate  when  I assert  that  I have  not  assisted  at  pri- 
vate theatricals  more  brilliantly  performed  even  at  our 
mother  house  in  Turin.” 

Not  long  after  the  establishment  of  St.  Raphael’s,  two 
other  missions  were  founded  for  the  benefit  of  the  Fue- 
gians, and  with  the  same  happy  results.  In  the  short 

*“  Journal  of  Kesearches,  ’ ’ Chap.  X. 

431 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


space  of  twenty  years  after  the  foundation  of  the  first 
mission  in  Southern  Patagonia,  the  Salesians  had  in  Tierra 
del  Fuego  no  fewer  than  fourteen  churches  and  chapels, 
six  colleges  for  boys  and  seven  for  girls,  and  nearly  two- 
score  missionary  residences.  Workshops  were  erected 
where  the  Indians  were  taught  various  arts  and  trades. 
They  were  also  instructed  in  agricultural  and  pastoral 
industries,  and  their  settlements  soon  began  to  assume 
the  appearance  of  civilized  communities.  No  less  a per- 
sonage than  the  President  of  Chile  visited  the  Fuegian 
missions  to  express  his  gratitude  to  the  Salesians  for  their 
marvelous  work.  And  explorers  in  Tierra  del  Fuego,  like 
Otto  Nordenskiold,  were  loud  in  their  praises  of  these 
zealous  ministers  of  the  Gospel  and  declared  that  their 
work  ranks  high  among  the  achievements  of  the  greatest 
lovers  of  humanity. 

The  dream  of  Don  Bosco  was  realized.  His  spiritual 
sons  and  daughters,  by  infinite  patience,  tact,  labor  and 
devotion,  had  achieved  what  anthropologists  and  men  of 
science  had  positively  asserted  to  be  impossible — the  civ- 
ilizing and  Christianizing  of  the  Fuegians — savages  who, 
as  Darwin  declared,  it  was  hard  to  believe  were  “fellow- 
creatures  and  inhabitants  of  the  same  world”  writh  our- 
selves. 

Hearing  of  the  great  success  of  the  Salesians  in  Tierra 
del  Fuego  and  Patagonia,  the  government  of  Ecuador  ap- 
plied for  their  assistance  in  dealing  with  the  Jivaros— 
that  ferocious  and  intractable  tribe  which,  from  the  days 
of  the  conquest,  had  been  an  unending  cause  of  alarm  and 
trouble.  The  Salesians  soon  made  friends  of  these  wild 
men  of  the  woods  and  achieved  by  the  cross  what  the 
sword  and  the  Winchester  were  impotent  to  accomplish. 

For  generations,  no  Indians  in  Brazil  had  committed 
greater  depredations,  or  inspired  more  terror  among  the 
neighboring  whites  than  the  Coroados  and  Bororos  of 
Matto  Grosso.  The  government  had  long  made  efforts 

432 


ON  THE  STORIED  PARAGUAY 


to  civilize  them,  but  had  failed  most  signally.  Despairing 
of  being  able  to  bring  them  under  the  yoke  of  law  and 
order,  it  bad  finally  decided  that  there  could  be  no  peace 
until  they  were  all  exterminated.  Just  then  Bishop  La- 
sagna,  a famous  Salesian  missionary,  appeared  and  asked 
to  have  these  terrible  Indians  turned  over  to  the  care  of 
bis  confreres.  This  was  done.  Schools  and  workshops 
were  at  once  established,  and  in  a short  time  the  people 
of  Matto  Grosso  were  astonished  to  learn  that  the  dread 
savages  had  been  converted  into  useful  and  law-abiding 
members  of  the  community.  They  became  fanners,  herds- 
men, carpenters,  blacksmiths  and  tanners,  and,  instead 
of  gaining  a livelihood  by  pillage  and  murder,  supported 
themselves  and  their  families  by  devoting  themselves  to  the 
arts  of  peace.  The  boys,  in  addition  to  learning  some 
trade,  were  all  taught  reading,  writing,  arithmetic  and 
music.  The  girls,  under  the  direction  of  the  sisters,  be- 
sides receiving  an  elementary  education,  were  instructed 
in  the  domestic  arts.  Some  specimens  of  their  needlework, 
which  I saw,  were  really  admirable. 

I refer  specially  to  the  achievements  of  the  Salesians 
among  the  savages  in  order  to  give  the  reader  an  idea 
of  the  wonderful  success  which  has  attended  their  activi- 
ties as  missionaries  and  educators.  And  what  has  been 
said  of  them  may  also  be  affirmed  of  the  Sisters  of  Maria 
Ausiliatrice,  who  are  equally  imbued  with  the  spirit  of 
their  holy  founder. 

But  I would  not  have  it  inferred  that  the  work  of 
the  children  of  Don  Bosco  in  South  America  is  confined 
to  the  instruction  and  conversion  of  the  Indians,  for  this 
is  far  from  being  the  case.  In  this  vast  continent,  as  in 
Europe,  their  chief  occupation  is  the  instruction  of  the 
poor,  not  only  in  the  ordinary  branches  of  a college  cur- 
riculum, but  also,  and  more  particularly,  in  the  various 
arts  and  trades  in  the  well-equipped  and  excellent  tech- 
nical establishments  for  which  they  are  everywhere  justly 

433 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


famous.  How  successful  they  have  been  may  be  estimated 
from  the  fact  that  they  now  have  establishments  in  all  of 
the  South  American  republics.  And  the  highest  authori- 
ties, civil  as  well  as  ecclesiastical,  of  all  these  nations  are 
constantly  calling  for  more  of  these  eminent  and  devoted 
teachers  to  assist  them  in  their  work  of  education  and 
philanthropy.  Wherever  there  are  children  to  be  in- 
structed, especially  in  arts  and  trades,  the  Salesians  are 
in  demand.  It  is  partly  because  they  have  been  able  so 
well  to  meet  this  great  need  in  South  America  for  skilled 
workmen  and  artisans  that  their  technical  schools  are 
everywhere  so  popular  and  so  well  patronized. 

But  their  success  as  educators  is  no  more  remarkable 
than  the  number  and  variety  of  their  activities.  Realiz- 
ing the  power  of  the  press  for  good,  they  print  hooks  and 
newspapers  and  magazines  in  many  languages.  And  at 
the  request  of  the  government,  they  have  taken  charge  of 
magnetic  and  meteorological  stations  from  the  Strait  of 
Magellan  to  the  wilderness  of  Matto  Grosso.  They  have 
also  distinguished  themselves  as  explorers,  naturalists, 
ethnologists  and,  in  this  respect,  have  nobly  continued  the 
fruitful  labors  of  Falkner,  Menendez,  Montoya,  Rivero  and 
Sobraviela.  In  Colombia  they  are  assuaging  the  suffer- 
ings and  relieving  the  miseries  of  more  than  two  thou- 
sand lepers.  And  everywhere — whether  in  the  bleak  plains 
of  Tierra  del  Fuego,  or  in  the  chilly  uplands  of  Bolivia, 
or  in  the  sultry  sertaos  of  Matto  Grosso — theirs  is  ever  a 
work  of  love.  In  the  ranclio  of  the  savage,  or  in  the  lazar- 
etto of  the  plague-stricken,  there  is  the  same  zeal  and  cheer- 
fulness as  in  the  village  parish  or  in  the  city  college  or 
seminary.  Everywhere  they  feel  that  they  are  working 
in  the  Master’s  vineyard  and  everywhere,  therefore,  they 
are  contented  and  happy. 

During  the  nine  days  I spent  in  Corumba,  I had  an  ex- 
cellent opportunity  of  studying  the  admirable  work  which 
the  children  of  Don  Bosco  are,  everywhere  in  South  Amer- 

434 


Sisters  of  Maria  Ausiliatrice  Teaching 
Bororos  Children. 


Bororos  Indians  Building  a Home  for  the  Sisters  of  Maria 
Ausiliatrice. 


ON  THE  STORIED  PARAGUAY 

ica,  accomplishing  in  college,  convent  and  hospital.  Most 
of  the  fathers  and  seminarians  in  charge  of  the  college  in 
Corumba  are  from  France  and  Germany,  while  the  major- 
ity of  the  sisters  are  from  Lombardy  and  Piedmont.  Com- 
ing from  the  invigorating  climate  of  central  Europe  to  the 
sweltering  region  of  the  Upper  Paraguay,  they  naturally 
suffer  very  much  from  the  hot  and  debilitating  atmosphere 
of  their  new  homes.  But  they  never  complain.  On  the 
contrary,  they  go  about  their  work  as  cheerfully  as  if 
they  were  in  their  homes  on  the  Po  or  the  Rhine. 

I called  to  visit  the  classes  in  the  convent  school  one 
day  when  the  temperature  and  humidity  were  unusually 
high.  To  me  the  heat  was  almost  intolerable.  Turning 
to  a gentle  little  nun  whose  cheeks  still  retained  the  bloom 
of  youth  and  who  had  been  reared  among  the  foothills 
of  the  Italian  Alps,  I said:  “ Sister,  how  do  you  endure 
this  oppressive,  suffocating  heat?”  “Oh,  Padre  mao,”  she 
replied  with  sweetness  and  childlike  simplicity,  “Pam or  di 
Dio  tutto  fa  facile”— The  love  of  God  makes  everything 
easy.  Had  I asked  all  her  companions  the  same  ques- 
tion, I should  have  received  substantially  the  same  answer. 
Love  enables  them  to  do  joyfully  what  worldly  rewards 
could  never  induce  them  to  undertake. 

Among  the  religious  I met  in  this  convent  was  one 
who  had  just  arrived  from  the  mother-house  in  Italy.  She 
held  the  office  of  visitor-general  and  was  then  making  a 
tour  of  inspection  of  the  numerous  establishments  of  her 
community  in  South  America.  She  was  of  gentle  birth 
and  in  her  youth  had  been  delicately  nurtured.  Highly 
educated  and  cultured  she,  among  her  many  accomplish- 
ments, spoke  French,  Spanish  and  Portuguese  as  fluently 
and  as  correctly  as  her  own  musical  Italian.  She  was  then 
on  her  way  to  the  Indian  missions  of  her  community  in 
Matto  Grosso.  As  I knew  their  location  was  far  away 
in  the  wilderness  and  full  twenty  days’  journey  on  horse- 
back from  Cuyaba,  the  nearest  center  of  population,  I 

435 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


expressed  my  surprise  that  she  should  undertake  such  a 
long  and  fatiguing  journey.  “ Non  e gran  cosa.  Sono  buona 
cavalier  a” — It  is  nothing  much.  I am  a good  horse- 
woman, she  answered.  Then  I was  told  by  one  of  the 
other  nuns  how  the  first  sisters  who  went  to  found  the 
Coroados  mission  had  been  obliged  to  spend  thirty-two 
days  on  the  road,  and  that,  too,  during  the  rainy  season. 
When  they  reached  their  destination,  in  the  depths  of  the 
forest,  they  had  no  shelter  except  the  tents  they  had 
brought  with  them  and  were,  besides,  almost  destitute  of 
provisions.  And  their  tents  were  their  only  homes  until 
a palm-thatched  hut  was  built  for  them.  Here,  far  away 
from  all  communication  with  the  outside  world — far  from 
the  telegraph  and  their  base  of  supplies — they  cour- 
ageously entered  upon  their  noble  work,  civilizing  and 
Christianizing  the  rude  women  and  girls  of  the  most  fero- 
cious tribes  of  central  Brazil.  I could  see,  while  talking 
with  the  mother-visitor,  that  she  had  left  a part  of  her 
heart  with  these  wild  children  of  the  wilderness,  for  she  was 
counting  the  days  until  she  could  see  them  again  and  note 
the  progress  they  had  made  since  her  preceding  visit.  She 
was,  truly,  one  of  the  world’s  heroines,  and  yet  the  extent 
of  her  heroic  work  of  charity  is  known  only  to  the  Master 
for  whom  she  has  made  the  most  sublime  of  sacrifices. 

The  achievements  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Don 
Bosco  are,  indeed,  wonderful.  But  more  astonishing  to  me 
is  the  marvelous  growth  of  the  two  communities  to  which 
they  belong  and  which  they  have  so  glorified  by  their  la- 
bors and  virtues.  It  is  barely  forty  years  since  their  first 
missionary  band  set  foot  on  South  American  soil.  It 
was  then  only  a diminutive  seedling.  But  now  it  has  be- 
come a great  tree  which,  like  a giant  banyan,  has  its  roots 
in  every  republic  of  the  entire  continent.  According  to 
the  latest  available  statistics,  the  Salesians  in  South  Amer- 
ica alone  have  a membership  of  nearly  fifteen  hundred 
priests  and  brothers,  with  nearly  two  hundred  establish- 

436 


ON  THE  STORIED  PARAGUAY 


ments  of  various  kinds.  In  tlieir  schools  and  colleges  there 
are  more  than  forty  thousand  pupils.  The  establishments 
of  the  sisters  of  Maria  Ausiliatrice  are  quite  as  flourish- 
ing as  those  of  the  Salesians  and  almost  equally  numerous. 
In  their  thoroughly  up-to-date  asylums,  orphanages,  hos- 
pitals, lazarettos,  schools  and  colleges  these  ministering 
angels  are  now  devoting  their  lives  to  the  spiritual  and 
corporal  welfare  of  more  than  forty  thousand  people — 
of  all  ages  and  races  and  conditions  of  life — in  South 
America  alone.  Their  success  is  due  not  only  to  their 
zeal  and  abounding  charity,  but  also  to  the  special  prepa- 
ration which  each  one  of  them  makes  for  her  task  in  the 
classroom,  the  isolating  ward  and  the  workroom,  in  which 
they  teach  their  young  charges  all  the  dainty  handicraft 
which  contributes  so  greatly  towards  making  home 
attractive. 

The  shepherd  boy  of  Becchi  and  the  dreamer  of  Turin 
was  a seer  and  a thaumaturgus  and  the  world  knew  it  not. 
His  methods  were  not  its  methods  and  his  marvelous 
achievements  must  to  it  ever  remain  a mystery.  Never, 
perhaps,  in  the  history  of  the  Church  has  the  influence 
of  any  founder  of  a religious  community  been  more  benefi- 
cent and  widespread  or  more  quickly  felt  in  every  quarter 
of  the  habitable  globe.  I have  referred  to  the  achieve- 
ments of  his  spiritual  children  in  South  America  only. 
This  is  not  the  place  to  tell  of  their  labors  in  many  and 
widely  separated  parts  of  the  Old  World.  But  millions 
of  people,  who  never  heard  of  Hon  Bosco  during  his  life, 
now  bless  his  name  when  they  behold  the  tireless  and  well- 
directed  efforts  of  his  sons  and  daughters  for  the  ameliora- 
tion of  the  poor,  the  afflicted  and  the  abandoned.  In  an- 
other place,  I have  had  occasion  to  speak  of  the  achieve- 
ments of  the  Conquistadores  of  the  Cross  in  South  Amer- 
ica during  colonial  times.1  What  I have  said  of  their  zeal 
and  charity  and  spirit  of  sacrifice  I can  apply  with  equal 

1 ‘ 1 Along  the  Andes  and  Down  the  Amazon,  ’ ’ Chap.  XXII. 

437 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


truth  to  the  faithful  sons  and  daughters  of  Don  Bosco — 
those  modern  Conquistadores  of  the  Cross — who  in  the 
homes  of  peace  have  ever  been  an  inspiration  and  a bene- 
diction, and  who  in  the  forest  primeval  of  Matto  Grosso, 
not  to  speak  of  other  regions, 

. . . “ With  the  Cross  alone,  when  arms  had  failed, 
Achieved  a peaceful  triumph  o’er  the  foes, 

And  gave  that  weary  land  the  blessings  of  repose.  ’ ’ 

After  a week’s  absence,  Colonel  Roosevelt  and  his  com- 
panions returned  from  their  hunting  expedition  on  the  Rio 
Taquary.  They  were  all  in  high  feather,  especially  the 
Colonel,  for,  among  the  specimens  which  his  trusty  rifle 
had  secured,  was  a fine,  large  jaguar.  When,  six  years 
previously,  while  he  -was  still  in  the  White  House,  I first 
broached  to  him  our  joint  trip  to  South  America,  the  thing 
that  most  strongly  appealed  to  his  hunter  soul  was  the 
longed-for  opportunity  to  bag  a large,  full-grown  jaguar. 
Now  that  he  had  been  successful,  he  felt  that  he  had  been 
richly  rewarded  for  his  long  and  fatiguing  tramp  through 
a steaming  marsh  under  a blazing,  tropical  sun — something 
which  would  have  dismayed  anyone  but  a born  Nimrod. 

The  day  following  the  return  of  our  hunters,  we  were 
all  aboard  the  light-draft  side-wlieeler  Nyoac,  on  our  way 
to  the  Fazenda  Sao  Joao  on  the  Cuyaba  River — nearly  four 
days’  journey  by  boat  from  Corumba.  Our  little  craft  was 
crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity.  For,  in  addition  to  our 
increased  party,  there  were  our  equipment,  luggage,  cots, 
provisions  and  supplies  of  all  kinds  for  our  naturalists 
and  explorers. 

The  scenery  along  the  banks  of  the  river  was  essentially 
like  that  between  Corumba  and  Asuncion.  But  the 
palmares,  or  clumps  of  palm  trees,  were  not  so  extensive 
or  interesting  as  those  that  had  so  enchanted  us  farther 
down  the  Paraguay.  In  lieu  of  these,  however,  the  beauty 

438 


ON  THE  STORIED  PARAGUAY 


of  the  landscape  was  wonderfully  enhanced  by  low  moun- 
tain ranges,  not  unlike  those  which  encircle  Lake  Como  and 
Lake  Maggiore. 

There  are  few  houses  along  the  Upper  Paraguay,  and 
the  greater  number  of  these  are  of  a very  primitive  char- 
acter. Most  of  them  are  occupied  by  mestizos  and 
Negroes.  Occasionally  one  sees  also  an  Indian  hut  or 
encampment.  Most  of  these  habitations  are  surrounded 
by  small  fields  of  maize  and  mandioca,  as  well  as  by  clumps 
of  orange,  lime,  banana  and  guava  trees.  What  with  fish 
and  game,  both  of  which  are  abundant,  and  the  products 
of  their  small  plantations,  the  inhabitants  of  these  parts 
are  never  stinted  for  the  means  of  subsistence.  Besides 
these  articles  of  food,  most  of  these  apparently  very 
poor  people  manage  to  get  an  occasional  quarter  of  beef 
from  a neighboring  fazenda.  And,  notwithstanding  the 
poorly  furnished  hovels  in  which  many  of  the  natives  along 
the  river  spend  their  lives,  their  lot  is  incomparably  bet- 
ter than  that  of  countless  multitudes  in  the  slums  of  the 
large  cities  of  Europe  and  the  United  States.  They  never 
suffer  from  cold  or  hunger,  or  the  lack  of  fresh  air  and 
sunshine,  and,  knowing  naught  of  the  luxuries  of  our  mod- 
ern civilization,  they  live  a life  of  comparative  ease  and 
contentment. 

Shortly  after  eight  o’clock  in  the  morning — the  fourth 
day  after  leaving  Corumba — we  were  surprised,  as  we  were 
rounding  a curve  of  the  Cuyaba  River,  to  see  two  gayly 
decked  river  steamers  just  a short  distance  ahead  of  us. 
One  of  them  was  occupied  by  Dr.  Joaquin  A.  da  Costa 
Marques,  the  President  of  Matto  Grosso,1  who,  with  quite 
a delegation,  had  come  all  the  way  from  the  capital  of  the 
state — several  days’  distance  by  boat — to  bid  us  welcome 


* If  extent  of  territory  over  which  the  chief  executive  of  Matto  Grosso 
rules  entitles  him  to  the  name  of  president,  instead  of  governor,  then,  indeed, 
he  richly  deserves  this  distinction,  for  the  area  of  this  state  is  more  than  nine 
times  that  of  the  states  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  combined. 

439 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


and,  with  other  members  of  his  family,  to  dispense  what 
we  found  to  be  the  most  lavish  hospitality  during  our  de- 
lightful visit  to  the  great  fazenda  of  Sao  Joao. 

Among  those  who  had  accompanied  the  President  and 
his  party  was  Dom  Ambrosio  Dayde,  a young  French  Fran- 
ciscan, who  had  come  as  the  representative  of  the  ven- 
erable archbishop  of  Cuyaba  to  invite  me  to  be  the  guest 
of  His  Grace  in  his  arcliiepiscopal  city.  But  the  arrival  of 
the  rainy  season,  which  made  it  necessary  for  us  to  hasten 
towards  our  objective  in  the  Amazon  Valley,  made  this 
visit  impossible.  Never  did  I regret  more  my  inability 
to  accept  proffered  hospitality  than  on  this  occasion.  I 
wished  not  only  to  have  the  pleasure  of  meeting  the  illus- 
trious metropolitan,  whose  praise  was  on  the  lips  of  every- 
one in  Matto  Grosso,  but  I was  also  most  desirous  of  mak- 
ing the  acquaintance  of  the  good  people  of  this  historic 
old  city  of  central  Brazil. 

The  archbishop  could  not  have  chosen  for  me  a more 
charming  traveling  companion  than  Fray  Ambrosio.  For, 
besides  being  highly  educated,  he  was  one  of  the  best  types 
of  Gallic  culture  and  enthusiasm.  And,  in  addition  to 
being  the  superior  of  the  seminary  of  Cuyaba,  he  is  an 
able  and  enterprising  journalist.  His  weekly  paper, 
A Cruz,  is  a potent  influence  for  good  among  all  classes 
and  has  a surprisingly  large  circulation  for  a sparsely 
populated  region  like  Matto  Grosso.  Dom  Ambrosio  be- 
longs to  that  ardent  and  peerless  type  of  French  mission- 
ary of  which  his  noble  compatriots,  Jean  de  Brebeuf  and 
Pere  Marquette,  were  such  brilliant  examples.  Joyous, 
dashing,  courageous,  he  would,  by  discarding  his  rough, 
gray  habit,  be  equally  at  home  as  a commander  of  a sub- 
marine or  as  the  chief  of  a fleet  of  aeroplanes. 

From  the  Fazenda  Sao  Joao,  where  we  spent  two  most 
enjoyable  days,  we  proceeded  to  a point  on  the  Sao 
Lourengo,  a short  distance  above  its  confluence  with  the 
Cuyaba.  In  the  forests  and  marshes  bordering  this  sec- 

440 


ON  THE  STORIED  PARAGUAY 


tion  of  the  Sao  Lourengo  there  was  said  to  be  an  abundance 
of  big  game,  and  our  naturalists  started  thither  in  high 
expectations  of  making  important  additions  to  their  al- 
ready large  collection  of  birds  and  mammals.  But  they 
were  doomed  to  disappointment.  Heavy  rains  greatly  in- 
terfered with  their  plans.  But,  notwithstanding  these 
tropical  downpours,  they  would  have  had  a certain  meas- 
ure of  success  had  not  their  dogs,  on  which  they  had 
greatly  relied,  proved  almost  worthless. 

After  almost  three  days  spent  on  the  Sao  Lourengo,  we 
started  for  Sao  Luiz  Caceres,  the  last  town — the  natives 
call  it  a city — on  the  Upper  Paraguay.  Personally,  I was 
most  eager  to  make  this  part  of  our  journey,  for  it  lay 
through  a region  of  romance  and  legend  second  to  but 
few  sections  of  South  America.  For  the  earliest  Con- 
quistadores,  those  marvelous  men  who  penetrated  every 
part  of  the  continent — no  matter  how  great  the  obstacles 
or  dangers — had  traversed  all  the  vast  region  from  the 
Cuyaba  to  the  Rio  Jauru,  near  San  Luis  Caceres. 

Among  the  most  notable  adventurers  to  these  distant 
regions  were  Domingo  de  Irala,  Nuflo  de  Chaves,  Ulric 
Schmidt  and  the  famous  Alvar  Nunez  Cabeza  de  Vaca. 
Irala  was  the  first  of  the  conquerors  to  open  up  a com- 
munication between  the  Rio  de  la  Plata  and  Peru.  Hav- 
ing ascended  the  Paraguay  almost  to  the  point  where  it 
receives  the  waters  of  the  Sao  Lourengo,  he  disembarked 
on  the  sixth  of  January  at  a place  which,  in  honor  of  the 
feast  of  the  day,  he  named  Los  Reyes — The  Kings.  Thence 
he  proceeded  in  a northwesterly  direction  until  he  reached 
the  river  Guapay,  which  is  the  upper  continuation  of  the 
Mamore  and  Madeira.  Crossing  this,  he  was  amazed  to 
find  a number  of  his  countrymen  who  belonged  to  the 
gobernacion — government — of  Pero  Anzures,  one  of  the 
officers  of  Francisco  Pizarro,  the  conqueror  of  Peru.  Irala 
here  encamped  and  sent  Nuflo  de  Chaves  with  three  other 
messengers  to  La  Gasca  who  was  then  governor  of  Peru. 

441 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


After  successfully  executing  his  commission,  Nuflo  de 
Chaves  was  given  a governorship  in  what  is  now  known  as 
Bolivia.  Soon  afterwards  he  founded  the  city  which  has 
since  been  known  as  Santa  Cruz  de  la  Sierra. 

To  effect  this  much-desired  communication  between  the 
Bio  de  la  Plata  and  Peru,  Irala  spent  a year  and  a half 
on  the  Paraguay  and  in  the  wild  and  unexplored  region 
bordering  the  Guapay.  Only  those  who  are  familiar  with 
the  character  of  the  territory  traversed  by  this  daring 
Conquistador  can  realize  the  magnitude  of  his  achieve- 
ment. Considering  the  dangers  and  difficulties  to  be  en- 
countered, this  opening  up  of  a route  from  the  Atlantic 
to  the  Pacific  was  scarcely  a less  extraordinary  feat  than 
Orellana’s  epoch-making  voyage  down  the  Amazon. 

But  while  I could  not  but  recall  the  adventures  of  Irala 
and  his  gallant  companions,  as  w~e  revisited  the  scenes 
which  were  so  familiar  to  them  nearly  four  centuries  ago, 
I found  more  pleasure  in  dwelling  on  the  careers  of  two 
other  heroes  of  the  conquest  who  have  always  seemed  to 
me  to  be  among  the  most  interesting  and  picturesque  char- 
acters of  early  South  American  history.  One  of  these 
was  Ulrich  Schmidt,  an  enterprising  agent  of  the  great 
German  house  of  Fugger  and  Welzer,  of  Augsburg.  The 
other  was  Alvar  Nunez  Cabeza  de  Vaca,  the  successor  of 
Pedro  de  Mendoza,  the  founder  of  Buenos  Aires  and 
the  first  adelantado  of  the  province  of  the  Rio  de  la 
Plata. 

Aside  from  their  wonderful  adventures,  these  two  men 
— one  a Bavarian  commercial  traveler,  the  other  an  An- 
dalusian cavalier — have  always  had  a special  interest  for 
me,  for  they  were  the  first  two  historians  of  the  conquest 
of  the  vast  regions  which  border  the  Parana  and  the  Para- 
guay. Neither  of  them,  it  is  true,  actually  wrote  the  books 
which  bear  their  names.  Schmidt’s  narrative  of  his  twenty 
years’  experiences  in  South  America  was  written  by  some- 
one— whose  name  is  as  yet  unknown — from  data  supplied 

442 


ON  THE  STORIED  PARAGUAY 


by  the  adventurous  Teuton,1  while  the  “Commentaries” 
of  Alvar  Nunez  were  written  by  his  secretary,  Pero 
Fernandez. 

To  a traveler  in  the  Upper  Paraguay  region,  both  these 
books  are  still  of  absorbing  interest.  They  not  only  give 
a graphic  account  of  the  country  as  it  appeared  to  the 
Conquistadores  nearly  four  centuries  ago,  but  they  also 
perfectly  describe  many  things  as  they  are  found  today. 
Indeed,  in  certain  details,  they  have  all  the  accuracy  of  a 
sixteenth-century  Baedeker. 

Recounting  the  experiences  of  his  party  in  the  inun- 
dated plains  of  the  Paraguay,  Schmidt,  in  his  quaint  lan- 
guage, tells  us  “the  lialfe  of  our  people  was  deadly  sicke, 
and  that  by  reason  of  the  water,  through  which  wee  were 
to  wade  for  thirtie  dayes  together,  so  that  wee  could  never 
turne  aside  or  get  out  of  the  same.”2  This  is  a vivid 
statement  of  conditions  as  they  are  found  to  this  day  dur- 
ing the  rainy  season. 

Speaking  of  chigoes,  which  are  such  a pest  everywhere 
in  tropical  countries,  our  German  adventurer  declares  that 
“These  little  vermin,  if  they  lay  hold  of  the  toes  of  the 
feete,  or  any  other  part  of  the  body,  they  knaw  and  enter 
alwaies  more  and  more  deeply  in  and  at  length  become 
wormes  such  as  are  found  in  our  filberds ; yet,  if  it  be  done 
in  time,  this  mischief  may  be  prevented,  that  it  shall  not 
hurt,  but,  if  deferring  the  cure,  it  be  neglected,  at  length, 
by  eating  and  gnawing,  it  consumetli  and  corrupteth  whole 
toes.”  3 * * * * 8 

Referring  to  the  articles  given  to  the  Indians  in  ex- 


1 The  title  of  Schmidt’s  work  is  in  English:  “A  True  and  Agreeable 

Description  of  Some  Principal  Indian  Lands  and  Islands,  which  have  not  been 

Recorded  in  Former  Chronicles,  but  have  now  been  first  Explored  amid  great 

Danger  during  the  Voyage  of  Ulrich  Schmidt,  of  Straubing,  and  most  carefully 

described  by  him.”  Published  by  the  Hakluyt  Society,  London,  1891. 

2<‘Hakluytus  Posthumus  or  Purchas  His  Pilgrimes. ” Vol.  XVII,  p.  36, 

Glasgow,  1906. 

8 Ibid.,  p.  53. 


443 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


change  for  gold  plates  and  silver  rings,  our  wide-awake 
agent  of  Welzer  and  Fugger,  who  were  probably  the  most 
noted  bankers  and  merchants  of  their  day,  informs  us  that 
articles  “made  in  Germany”  were  even  at  that  early 
period  as  popular  as  at  the  present  time.  “For  all  this” 
— the  plates  of  gold  and  the  rings  of  silver — he  tells  us, 
“our  Captain  gave  the  King  of  the  Indians  an  Hatchet, 
Knives,  and  Beades,  or  Pater-nosters,  Barber’s  Scizzars, 
and  such  like,  made  at  Nuremberg.”1 

Although  Schmidt’s  voyage  has  appeared  in  many  lan- 
guages, and  will  always  he  of  value  to  the  student  of  early 
exploration  in  South  America,  “The  Commentaries”  of 
Alvar  Nunez  are  far  more  important  and  exact.  His  ac- 
count, as  given  by  his  secretary,  of  his  voyage  up  the  Para- 
guay; his  observations  on  the  Sao  Louren^o — which  he 
explored  for  some  distance — and  the  lagoons  along  the  Bio 
Jauru  which  enters  the  Paraguay  only  a short  distance 
below  Sao  Luis  Caceres ; his  remarks  on  the  various  Indian 
tribes,  as  well  as  on  the  fauna  and  the  flora  of  the  country 
through  which  he  passed,  exhibit  a keen  and  intelligent 
observer.  Even  details  did  not  escape  his  quick  eye.  Thus, 

’ Op.  cit.  36.  “Voyage  of  Ulrich  Schmidt  to  the  Rivers  La  Plata  and  Para- 
guay,” p.  48,  published  by  the  Hakluyt  Society,  London,  1891.  By  far  the 
best  recent  edition  of  Schmidt’s  book  is  “Viaje  de  Ulrich  Schmidel  al  Rio  de 
la  Plata,  Con  notas  Bibliograficas  y Biograficas,  ” by  Bartolome  Mitre,  with 
“Prologo,  Traduccion  y Anotaciones, ” by  Samuel  A.  Lafone  Queveda,  Buenos 
Aires,  1903. 

Even  the  vessel  in  which  Schmidt  went  to  America  belonged  to  Germans — 
to  the  Seville  house  of  Welzer  and  Niedhart,  a branch  of  the  house  of  Fugger 
and  Welzer,  of  Augsburg.  It  is  proper  to  remark  that  this  occurred  during 
the  reign  of  Charles  V,  who  counted  the  Germans  as  well  as  the  Spaniards 
among  his  subjects.  ‘ ‘ This  explains  how  the  Spanish  government,  exclusive 
and  jealous  of  all  foreign  interference  in  its  affairs  in  the  Indies,  allowed 
Germans  and  Flemings,  with  their  vessels,  their  merchandise,  and  their  men,  to 
take  part  in  such  considerable  numbers  in  the  expedition  of  Don  Pedro  Men- 
doza.” “Conquest  of  the  River  Plate,”  p.  XXV,  published  by  the  Hakluyt 
Society,  London,  1891.  It  was  the  same  Charles  V who  made  an  immense 
grant  of  land  to  the  Welzers  in  Venezuela,  whence  Philip  von  Hutten  and  his 
fellow-adventurers  started  out  on  their  famous  quest  of  El  Dorado. 

444 


ON  THE  STORIED  PARAGUAY 


wliat  he  says  about  the  lower  part  of  the  Sao  Lourengo 
River,  which  he  sounded  for  some  distance,  is  as  true  today 
as  it  was  at  the  time  of  his  memorable  voyage  in  the  first 
half  of  the  sixteenth  century.  Similarly,  what  he  tells  us 
regarding  the  habits  of  the  capibara — he  calls  it  “a  kind 
of  water  pig” — tallies  perfectly  with  our  own  observations 
respecting  this  singular  animal. 

To  me  one  of  the  most  remarkable  things  in  connection 
with  this  voyage  of  Alvar  Nunez  to  the  Upper  Paraguay 
was  the  fact  that  he  actually  erected  a church  near  the 
confluence  of  the  Sao  Lourengo  and  the  Paraguay.  A 
church  in  a country  which  is  today  but  little  more  than 
a vast  swamp  and  which  is  almost  uninhabited ! 1 But 
when  the  adventurous  Andalusian  was  here  these  parts 
were  thickly  populated  by  Indians  and  it  was  for  their 
benefit  that  he  built  a place  of  worship  and  provided  them 
with  priests  to  instruct  them  in  the  doctrines  of  the  Church. 

Was  it  but  a momentary  fancy?  Whether  it  was  or  not, 
I am  not  ashamed  to  admit  that  I seemed  to  feel  the  pres- 
ence of  Alvar  Nunez  as  the  Nyoac  glided  through  the  wa- 
ters of  the  Sao  Lourengo  and  the  Paraguay,  following  in 
the  wake  of  the  feluccas  and  brigantines  of  the  daring  cava- 
lier who  served  his  country  so  well,  but  who,  probably  more 
than  any  man  of  his  time,  experienced  all  the  divers  effects 
due  to  the  sudden  turns  of  “giddy  Fortune’s  furious  fickle 
wheel.  ’ ’ 

In  traversing  under  the  Southern  Cross  the  lands  which 
were  so  familiar  to  one  of  the  noblest  and  most  humane 
of  the  Conquistadores,2  I felt  almost  as  if  I were  in  some 

'“This,”  says  Alvar  Nunez,  “was  the  first  settlement  of  the  campo ; it 
was  a little  over  a half  a league  in  extent  and  contained  eight  hundred  houses 
of  agriculturists.”  “The  Commentaries,”  p.  201,  published  by  the  Hakluyt 
Society. 

2 Those  who  are  familiar  with  the  life  and  achievements  of  Alvar  Nunez 
will  agree  with  the  historian,  Padre  Guevara,  that  he  was  “a  man  who  for 
his  rectitude,  justice  and  Christian  conduct  deserved  a statue” — merecia  esta- 
tua.  The  same  author  further  declares  that  the  adelantado  was  “uno  de 

445 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


mysterious  way  communing  with  an  old  friend.  For  dec- 
ades I had,  in  many  climes,  been  following  in  liis  footsteps. 
From  the  vine-clad  slopes  of  Andalusia  to  the  dismal  ever- 
glades of  Florida;  from  the  bayous  of  Louisiana  to  the 
Gulf  of  California  and  the  valley  of  Anahuac;  through 
the  Araucanian  forests  of  Brazil ; along  the  camalote- 
covered  waterways  of  South  America’s  Southland,  I had 
gazed  on  the  same  marvels  of  earth  and  sea  that  had  so 
stirred  the  soul  of  Alvar  Nunez  and  made  him  long  to 
achieve  great  things  for  God  and  country.  And  now  I had 
met  him  again,  at  least  in  imagination,  in  the  heart  of 
the  famous  Laguna  de  los  Xarayes,1  in  the  fabled  island 
home  of  El  Gran  Moxo  who  lived  in  a magnificent  palace 
adorned  with  vessels  and  furniture  of  gold  and  silver; 
with  doors  of  bronze  near  which  were  living  lions  held  by 
chains  of  gold;  with  a large  moon,  like  a disk  of  silver 
which,  supported  by  a lofty  tower,  illumined  the  surround- 
ing lake ; which  was  surrounded  by  gardens  and  groves  that 


los  hombres  mas  juiciosos  de  su  siglo:  recto,  prudente,  entero  y de  sano  cora- 
zon.  . . . prendas  que  no  bastaron  a liacerle  respectable  a la  fortuna  perse- 
quidora  de  hombres  grandes.  La  Florida  lo  cautivo  con  inhumanidad,  la  Asump- 
cion  la  aprisiono  con  infamia ; pero  en  una  y otra  parte  fue  egemplar  de  modera- 
cion,  mas  respetable  entre  los  indios  de  la  Florida,  que  entre  los  espanoles  de  la 
Asumpcion.”  ‘‘Historia  del  Paraguay,  Rio  de  la  Plata  y Tucuman,  in  Colec- 
cion  de  obras  y Documentos  Relativos  a la  Historia  Antigua  y Moderna  de  las 
Provincias  de  La  Plata,”  by  Pedro  de  Angelis,  Tom.  II,  p.  109,  Buenos  Aires, 
1836. 

1 This  legendary  lake,  which  is  indicated  on  the  first  maps  of  South  Amer- 
ica, was  supposed  by  the  early  adventurers  to  be  the  source  of  the  Paraguay. 
Traversing  this  region  during  the  rainy  season,  when  a vast  area  is  under 
water,  it  was  easy  for  them  to  mistake  a temporary  inundation  for  a perma- 
nent lake.  Reclus  in  his  “Nouvelle  Geographie  Universelle,  ” Vol.  XIX,  p. 
425,  states  that  this  inland  sea,  during  high  water,  has  a length  of  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles  from  north  to  south  and  a width,  in  places,  of  more  than 
a hundred  and  fifty.  This  location  for  the  abode  of  a wealthy  potentate  was, 
from  what  we  now  know,  quite  as  impossible  as  that  assigned  by  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh  for  the  residence  of  the  Gilded  Man  in  the  lowlands  of  the  Orinoco,  or 
by  Philip  von  Ilutten,  in  the  dark  recesses  of  the  Amazonian  selva.  But  the 
believers  in  El  Dorado  always  exhibited  a decided  penchant  for  fixing  his 
habitation  in  the  most  unlikely  places  in  the  entire  continent. 

44  G 


ON  THE  STORIED  PARAGUAY 


were  watered  from  a great  central  fountain  whose  basin 
was  of  silver  and  whose  irrigating  pipes  were  of  gold; 
in  which  were  an  altar  and  ever-lighted  lamps  of  precious 
metal ; a blazing  sun  of  purest  gold  which  was  there  adored 
by  El  Moxo’s  benighted  subjects,  and  countless  other  mar- 
vels which  surpassed  the  inventions  of  the  most  unbridled 
fancy.1  It  was  the  old  story,  in  a different  setting,  of  the 
Enchanted  City  of  the  Caesars,  of  the  Gilded  Man  of  Lake 
Guatavita,  of  the  Golden  City  of  Manoa  in  Guiana,  of 

“Imperial  El  Dorado  roofed  with  gold; 

Shadows  to  which,  despite  all  shocks  of  change, 

All  onset  of  capricious  accident, 

Men  clung  with  yearning  hope  which  would  not  die.” 

'For  an  interesting  account  of  the  palace  of  El  Gran  Moxo  see  Canto  V 
in  “La  Argentina, ’ ’ by  Martin  del  Bareo  Centenera,  the  first  edition  of  which 
appeared  in  Lisbon  in  1602. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


THE  HOME  OF  BIRDS  AND  PALMS 

The  golden  sun  adored  in  the  fabled  palace  of  El  Gran 
Moxo — 

Es  de  oro  fino  el  sol  alii  adorado 

— like  the  palace  itself  and  like  the  mythical  island  on  which 
it  was  located  and  the  legendary  lake  by  which  it  was  sur- 
rounded, interested  me  because  it  was  another  of  the  many 
illustrations  of  the  wonderful  mythopceic  faculty  which  the 
Conquistadores  exhibited  when,  impelled  by  the  auri  sacra 
fames,  they  dreamed  of  discovering  in  the  depths  of  the 
forest,  or  in  the  heart  of  the  jungle,  untold  riches  which 
would  rival  those  that  rewarded  the  prowess  of  Cortes 
in  Mexico  and  Pizarro  in  Peru.  The  originator  of  this 
story  of  the  golden  sun  in  the  palace  of  the  Great  Moxo 
was,  according  to  Padre  Guevara,  one  of  the  companions 
of  Alvar  Nunez  in  his  famous  expedition  up  the  Paraguay. 
He  had  during  his  wandering  heard  of  the  great  golden 
sun  in  the  temple  of  Cuzco  and  it  was  an  easy  matter  for 
his  lively  imagination  to  transfer  both  sun  and  temple  from 
the  capital  of  the  Incas  to  a forested  island  in  the  fictitious 
Laguna  de  los  Xarayes.  Thus  was  El  Gran  Moxo  given 
“a  local  habitation  and  a name,”  and  thus,  too,  were 
the  fortune  hunters  of  the  conquest  provided  with  another 
objective  toward  which  to  bend  their  energies  in  their  lust 
of  gold  and  adventure. 

It  was  while  I was  musing  one  evening  on  the  legendary 
past  of  the  Upper  Paraguay  that  a companion  called  my 
attention  to  that  glorious  orb  which,  as  Byron  phrases, 

448 


THE  HOME  OF  BIRDS  AND  PALMS 


it,  was  “a  worship”  before  the  mystery  of  its  making  was 
revealed — that  ministering  sun  of  the  Almighty 

Which  gladdened  on  their  mountain  tops,  the  hearts 
Of  the  Chaldean  shepherds,  till  they  poured 
Themselves  in  orisons. 

The  Nyoac  was  slowly  threading  its  way  through  the 
mazes  of  the  islanded,  palm-fringed  Paraguay.  The  long, 
gentle  slopes  of  the  sun-kissed  Sierra  Amolar  were  a riot 
of  splendor  and  color.  Masses  of  feathery  and  cirro- 
stratus  clouds  floated  above  the  mountain’s  crest  and  ex- 
tended almost  to  the  zenith  of  a sky  of  profoundest  azure 
and  of  abysmal  depth.  There  were  delicately  molded  bars 
of  vapor  which  extended  halfway  across  the  heaven ; there 
were  parallel  streaks  and  multitudinous  silk  filaments 
finely  drawn,  some  straight,  some  gracefully  bent,  but  all 
perfectly  motionless  and  of  infinite  variety  and  detail. 

But  it  was  the  gorgeous,  ever-changing  colors  of  these 
vaporous  bands  and  lines  and  plumes  that  most  enthralled 
our  gaze.  There  were  clouds  of  blue,  and  green  and  indigo 
and  scarlet — some  fringed  with  orange,  others  with  car- 
mine, and  others  still  with  purest  white  or  blazing  gold. 
And  as  the  sun  dropped  behind  the  mountain  rampart,  a 
conflagration  of  heavenly  rose  towered  above  the  deep 
purples  and  intense  azures  which  veiled  the  tree-clad 
slopes  of  the  Sierra.  Rarely  have  I seen  such  glory  of 
color,  such  superb  scenery  of  the  sky. 

With  the  advent  of  the  short,  tropical  twilight,  the 
shades  of  evening  began  to  lower  and  silence  brooded  over 
the  vast  papyrus-covered  plain.  A mantle  of  silvery  gray 
enwrapped  the  darkening  world  and  myriads  of  fire-flies 
began  to  dance  their  merry  rounds.  Then  the  pale, 
crescent  moon  slowly  arose  above  the  sealike  plain.  The 
lofty  palms  with  their  noble  crowns  cast  dark  shadows 
upon  the  rippling  waters  which  were  soon  converted  into 

449 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


mazes  of  silver  by  the  effulgent  moonbeams.  The  cadenced 
voice  of  the  meandering  stream — or  was  it  that  of  the 
mae  d’agua,  the  beauteous  siren  of  Brazilian  fable1 — 
seemed  to  ever-wakeful  fancy  to  sing  a nocturne — so  sweet, 
so  soothing — that  one  felt  that  one  was  in  the  paradise 
which  legend  once  placed  in  these  parts,  or  in  a land  of 
streams  and  charmed  sunsets 

“Resting  weary  limbs  at  last  on  beds  of  asphodel.” 

The  mysterious  and  romantic  stillness  of  the  night  had 
succeeded  “the  trembling  magic  of  the  evening  hour”  and 
the  spell  of  the  Paraguay  was  still  upon  Colonel  Roosevelt 
and  myself  with  all  its  enthralling  power.  Time  and  again 
we  found  our  conversations  on  literature  and  science  and 
history  interrupted  by  the  entrancing  beauty  of  a moonlit 
island,  or  the  shimmering  undulations  at  a sharp  turn  of 
the  river,  or  the  wavering  lights  and  shadows  on  the  flanks 
of  Amolar,  which  was  then  veiled  in  an  opaline  mist  like 
thinnest  lawn.  “Wonderful,  wonderful!”  exclaimed  the 
Colonel.  “I  do  not  think  I have  ever  witnessed  more  quiet 
and  enchanting  scenes  than  those  we  have  gazed  on  during 
the  past  few  hours.” 

As  we  rose  from  our  comfortable  camp  chairs  to  retire 
for  the  night,  we  discovered  that  our  associates  had  all, 
without  our  observing  it,  preceded  us  to  rest.  Every  square 
foot  of  available  space  ou  the  deck  was  occupied  by  a cot, 
for  no  one  thought  of  occupying  his  close  and  sultry  state- 
room when  he  could  enjoy  the  cool  and  refreshing  breeze 
which  always  made  our  nights  on  the  Paraguay  so  restful 

’The  mae  d’agua — water-mother — is,  in  many  parts  of  Brazil,  believed  to 
be  a beautiful  woman  vestured  in  long,  golden  hair,  with  fascinating  eyes,  and 
with  a voice  so  sweet  that  no  one  who  hears  it  can  resist  the  temptation  to 
plunge  into  the  water  in  order  to  hear  and  see  her  better.  Unlike  the  mermaid, 
she  has  a perfect  human  form  and  fascinates  by  her  beauty  as  well  as  by  the 
sweetness  of  her  voice.  She  is  said  to  have  a special  attraction  for  children. 
See  the  beautiful  poem  of  A.  Gongalves  Dias  on  “ A Mae  d ’Agua.  ’ ’ 

450 


THE  HOME  OF  BIRDS  AND  PALMS 


and  so  delightful.  Many  of  our  party  had  hammocks, 
instead  of  cots,  and  those,  with  their  wearied  and  sleeping 
occupants,  were  slung  between  the  stanchions  of  the  ves- 
sels exactly  as  described  by  the  Brazilian  poet  in  the  lines 

Pende  de  lenlio  a lenho  a rede  extensa : 

Alii  descanso  toma  o corpo  lasso. 

The  afternoon  following  the  splendid  “drama  of  sun- 
set” we  had  an  exhibition  of  cumulous  clouds  that  sur- 
passed anything  in  all  my  experience.  I had  often,  during 
our  voyage  up  the  Paraguay,  gazed  with  ever-increasing 
delight  at  the  wondrously  beautiful  cloud-flocks — “flocks 
of  Admetus  under  Apollo’s  keeping”— and  admired  the 
soaring,  advancing,  retreating,  ever-changing  masses  of 
fleecy,  alabaster,  domelike  clouds,  but  I never  saw  anything 
comparable  to  the  gently-floating,  grandly-rolling  masses 
of  vapor  which  were  incessantly  transforming  into  trees 
and  castles  and  animals  of  many  and  bizarre  kinds,  as  if 
they  were  under  the  subtle  action  of  Merlin’s  magic  wand. 
I had  on  several  occasions  observed  these  marvelous  ef- 
fects of  cloud  metamorphosis  while  traversing  the  llanos 
of  Venezuela  and  Colombia,  but  they  were  by  far  surpassed 
by  those  I witnessed  in  the  legendary  kingdom  of  the 
Great  Moxo.  For,  among  the  curious  cloud-forms  there 
were  a giant  jacare  and  a colossal  tapir  followed  by  a 
plunging  dolphin  and  an  “elf  with  luminous  hair  astride 
upon  a sea-horse.”  Shakespeare  must  have  had  visions 
like  these  when  he  wrote 

Sometimes  we  see  a cloud  that’s  dragonish, 

A vapour,  sometime  like  a bear  or  lion, 

A tower’d  citadel,  a pendant  rock, 

A forked  mountain,  or  blue  promontory, 

With  trees  upon’t  that  nod  unto  the  world 
And  mock  our  eyes  with  air. 

451 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Of  a different  type  of  beauty,  but  no  less  fascinating, 
were  the  countless  species  of  birds  of  every  form  and 
color  and  size,  from  the  tiny  picaflor — humming-bird — 
that,  like  a living  gem  of  rainbow  hues,  flits  from  flower 
to  flower  to  drain  their  perfumed  nectaries,1  to  the  great 
jabira  stork,  which  builds  its  huge  nest  on  the  lofty 
branches  of  the  wild  fig  or  the  wide-spreading  ceiba.  They 
were  to  be  seen  everywhere,  gliding  through  the  water, 
scattered  over  the  sand-bars  and  mud-flats  along  the  river, 
perched  on  the  belts  of  trees  which  bordered  each  bank, 
soaring  above  the  picturesque  palmares  which  always  gave 
such  beauty  to  the  ever-varying  landscape.  There  were 
immense  numbers  of  patos  reales — Muscovy  ducks — 
herons,  cormorants,  wood-ibises,  crested  screamers,  snow- 
white  egrets  and  roseate  spoonbills.  In  the  water  were 
snakebirds,  of  which  nothing  was  seen  except  their  long, 
slender,  serpentlike  heads  and  necks.  There  were  noisy, 
multi-colored  parrots  and  screaming  red  and  blue  macaws. 
There  were  chattering  parakeets  entering  and  leaving  their 
odd  communal  nests  in  the  forked  branches  of  the  larger 
trees  on  the  river’s  edge. 

All  the  low,  marsh  lands  of  South  America  are  remark- 
able for  their  wealth  of  birdlife.  But  in  no  part  of  it,  not 
even  in  the  lagoons  and  morasses  which  border  the  Meta 
and  the  Orinoco,  have  I ever  seen  such  a wonderful  ex- 
hibition of  the  feathered  tribe  as  in  the  half-submerged 
region  drained  by  the  Upper  Paraguay.  It  is  not  only 
a paradise  for  birds,  but  should  also  be  a paradise  for 
ornithologists.  The  region  has,  as  yet,  been  only  partially 
explored,  and  there  are  still  many  new  species  here  to  re- 
ward the  enthusiastic  field  worker.  And  no  place  is  more 
easily  accessible.  With  a small  motor-boat,  one  could 
profitably  spend  years  studying  the  life-histories  of  the 
strange  and  interesting  birds  of  every  kind  which  make 

1 The  Brazilians  also  call  the  humming-bird  beija-flor — kiss-flower — while 
the  Indians  give  it  the  picturesque  name,  coracy-aba — tresses  of  the  sun. 

452 


J 


The  Nyoac  on  the  Upper  Paraguay. 


Our  Naturalists  at  Work  on  the  Nyoac. 


THE  HOME  OF  BIRDS  AND  PALMS 


their  home  about  the  bayous  and  the  broad,  grass-covered 
plains  of  southwestern  Matto  Grosso. 

Although  the  mammals  of  South  America  count  fewer 
species  than  the  birds,  they  are  no  less  interesting.  This 
is  particularly  true  of  those  archaic  forms  which,  like  the 
sloth,  the  ant-eater,  the  tapir  and  the  armadillo,  are  sur- 
viving types  of  such  giant  monsters  as  the  megatherium, 
the  megalonyx  and  the  mylodon.  Among  the  larger  mam- 
mals that  we  saw,  as  we  made  our  way  up  the  Paraguay, 
were  the  red  marsh  deer,  the  yellowish-red  cebu,  the  black 
howler  and  the  gregarious  capybaras.  The  last-named  ani- 
mals were  frequently  seen  squatting  on  the  bank,  hut  on 
the  approach  of  our  vessel  they  hastily  plunged  into  the 
river  and  disappeared  beneath  its  tawny  flood. 

Shortly  before  reaching  the  embouchure  of  the  famous 
Rio  Jauru,  into  which  Nuflo  de  Chaves  entered  on  his 
famous  journey  to  Peru,  we  stopped  for  an  hour  or  two 
at  the  little  village  of  Descalvado,  so  named  from  an  emi- 
nence nearby  which  is  known  as  Morro  Escalvado — Bald 
Mountain.  There  is  here  quite  a large  saladeiro — meat- 
curing establishment — and  a tannery,  which  belong  to  the 
Farquhar  Syndicate.  The  principal  houses  are  occupied 
by  the  managers  of  the  large  ranch — on  which  there  are 
about  seventy  thousand  cattle — which  belongs  to  the  same 
syndicate.  The  assistant  manager  was  an  experienced  cat- 
tleman from  Texas,  who  could  scarcely  restrain  tears  of 
joy  when  he  saw  the  American  flag  flying  from  the  mast  of 
the  Nyoac.  “You  don’t  know  how  good  it  is,”  he  said,  “to 
see  Old  Glory  in  this  faraway  land.  ’ ’ Just  then  he  dropped 
an  unopened  letter  which  had  been  handed  him.  Quickly 
picking  it  up  he  feelingly  remarked:  “This  is  something 
precious.  I would  not  lose  it  for  a thousand  dollars.  It 
is  a letter  from  my  wife,  whom  I was  obliged  to  leave  in 
Texas  until  I could  prepare  a fit  place  for  her  here.  I am 
expecting  her  by  the  next  steamer.  Then,”  pointing  to  a 
cozy  little  house  which  had  just  been  nicely  painted  and 

453 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


renovated,  “we  shall  make  our  home  here  amid  this  group 
of  orange  and  lemon  trees.  And  then  life  will  again  be 
worth  living.” 

The  day  after  leaving  Descalvado — January  fifth — we 
were  in  sight  of  the  long  range  of  mountains  which  ex- 
tends from  Sao  Luiz  de  Caceres  to  the  city  of  Cuyaba,  where 
it  is  known  as  Serra  Azul — Blue  Ridge.  We  had  at  last 
left  the  Laguna  de  los  Xarayes — the  Mar  Dulce  of  some 
of  the  early  annalists — behind  us.  The  number  of  houses 
and  plantations  on  both  sides  of  the  river  began  to  in- 
crease and  gave  indications  of  our  approach  to  a center 
of  civilization. 

Shortly  after  luncheon,  as  I was  standing  on  the  star- 
board side  of  the  Nyoac,  I noticed  a group  of  people  stand- 
ing in  the  front  of  a palm-tliatched  house  on  the  river’s 
bank.  In  their  midst  was  a man  mounted  on  horseback, 
who  was  closely  scanning  our  vessel  as  if  he  were  expect- 
ing someone.  He  then  shouted  two  or  three  times  to  our 
pilot,  and,  getting  a satisfactory  answer,  at  once  turned 
his  steed  toward  Sao  Luiz  de  Caceres  and  soon  disappeared 
in  the  intervening  forest.  I subsequently  learnt  the  mean- 
ing of  this  strange  proceeding.  There  are  no  telephone 
or  telegraph  lines  between  points  on  the  Upper  Paraguay, 
and,  as  a consequence,  the  only  way  of  conveying  infor- 
mation quickly  from  place  to  place  is  the  primitive  one 
of  employing  a special  messenger.  The  officials  of  Caceres 
wished  to  know  the  exact  hour  of  our  arrival  and  had, 
therefore,  sent  the  horseman  down  the  river  to  be  on  the 
lookout  for  us  and  to  report  to  them  as  soon  as  the  Nyoac 
hove  in  sight.  I love  to  think  that  this  messenger  had  not 
been  waiting  for  us  so  long  as  our  Cuyaba  friends  at  the 
Fazenda  de  Sao  Joao,  who  were  in  daily  expectation  of 
our  arrival  for  a whole  week. 

Sao  Luiz  de  Caceres  is  an  interesting  old  town  which 
claims  nearly  ten  thousand  inhabitants.  According  to  De 
Castelnau,  the  plain  on  which  it  stands  is  about  sixty  feet 

454 


THE  HOME  OF  BIRDS  AND  PALMS 


above  the  Paraguay.  It  was  founded  in  1768  by  the  fourth 
captain-general  of  Matto  .Grosso,  Luiz  de  Albuquerque  de 
Mello  Pereira  e Caceres,  who  was  probably  the  ablest  ad- 
ministrator this  part  of  Brazil  has  ever  known.  Although 
the  town  now  bears  a part  of  his  long  cognomen,  the  name 
given  it  by  its  founder  was  Villa  Maria  do  Paraguay.  Stu- 
dents of  history  and  geography  cannot  but  regret  this 
change  of  name,  of  which  we  find  so  many  instances  in  all 
parts  of  Brazil.  Thus  the  old  capital  of  Matto  Grosso  was 
originally  called  Villa  Bella.  Now  it  is  known  as  Matto 
Grosso.  So  also  was  the  presidio  of  Albuquerque — named 
after  its  illustrious  founder — on  its  change  of  site,  called 
Corumba,  or  rather  to  give  its  full  name,  Santa  Cruz  de 
Corumba.  In  many  cases  the  names  of  places  have  been 
changed  not  once,  but  several  times.  The  consequence  is 
endless  confusion  and  error. 

Our  horseman  had  evidently  delivered  his  message 
promptly,  as  on  our  arrival  at  the  landing-place  a vast 
concourse  of  men,  women  and  children  were  there  to  greet 
us.  There  was  also  the  usual  accompaniment  of  eveiy 
Brazilian  function — a brass  band.  Besides  this,  although 
it  was  still  more  than  an  hour  before  sunset,  there  was  a 
display  of  fireworks.  This  part  of  our  reception  seemed 
to  give  special  pleasure  to  the  younger  generation,  which 
was  composed  of  whites,  blacks,  Indians  and  mestizos  of 
all  degrees  of  blood-fusion. 

We  were  escorted  to  the  large  and  comfortable  home 
of  Lieutenant  Lyra — the  astronomer  of  our  expedition — 
where  quarters  had  been  prepared  for  a number  of  our 
party.  But  I was  scarcely  inside  the  house  when  the 
French  consul — a consul  from  la  belle  France  in  this  out- 
of-the-way  part  of  the  world ! — introduced  himself  and  told 
me  that  he  had  been  requested  by  the  Superior  of  the 
College  of  Sao  Luiz — which  is  conducted  by  the  Franciscan 
Fathers — to  ask  me  to  accept  the  hospitality  of  that  insti- 
tution. He  had  scarcely  finished  speaking  when  the  good 

455 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


superior  liimself,  accompanied  by  liis  assistant,  appeared, 
and  renewed  the  request  that  I should  he  their  guest  dur- 
ing our  stay  in  the  city.  I,  accordingly,  left  Colonel  Roose- 
velt and  some  of  our  other  associates  in  the  hands  of  Lieu- 
tenant Lyra,  and  soon  found  myself  the  delighted  guest 
of  the  sons  of  St.  Francis,  under  the  hospitable  roof  of 
the  College  of  Sao  Luiz. 

Although  it  is  only  a few  years  since  the  college  was 
founded,  its  praise  is  on  the  lips  of  everyone  in  Matto 
Grosso.  “You  will  find  this  a most  excellent  institution,” 
said  Colonel  Rondon  to  me  the  day  before  we  reached 
Caceres.  “It  is  patronized  by  the  best  families  of  the 
countiy  and  is  a credit  to  the  city.”  I visited  the  pupils 
in  their  classrooms  and  found  them  surprisingly  intelligent 
and  deeply  interested  in  their  studies.  Most  of  them  lived 
in  the  city,  but  a goodly  number  of  them  had  their  homes 
in  distant  villages  and  fazendas. 

With  the  superior,  I visited  the  pro-cathedral,  and  one 
of  the  first  men  I met  there  was  a Negro  from  Chicago. 
To  those  of  our  party  who  had  thought  that  Sao  Luiz 
de  Caceres  was  little  more  than  an  aldeia — Indian  village 
— it  was  a matter  of  no  little  astonishment  to  find  that  it, 
like  Corumba,  was  the  seat  of  a bishopric.  The  metro- 
politan of  these  two  episcopal  sees  is  the  Archbishop  of 
Cuyaba.  And  Cuyaba,  it  may  be  observed,  was  a bishopric 
before  Baltimore — the  oldest  diocesan  seat  in  the  United 
States.1 

A greater  surprise  to  me  than  Sao  Luiz  College  was  the 
really  excellent  convent  school,  which  it  was  my  privilege 
to  visit.  It  is  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  buildings  in 
the  city  and,  like  the  college,  it  is  well  patronized.  The 
sisters  had  begun  their  work  here  only  a few  years  before 
our  arrival,  and  it  was  a pleasure  to  note  what  success 
they  had  achieved  in  so  short  a time. 

‘Cf.  “Viagem  ao  Iledor  do  Brasil,”  pp.  56,  81,  et  seq.,  by  Joao  Severiano 
da  Fonseca.  Rio  de  Janeiro,  1881. 

456 


THE  HOME  OF  BIRDS  AND  PALMS 


Like  tlie  Franciscans  and  like  so  many  religious  whom 
I had  found  in  all  parts  of  South  America,  the  sisters 
of  Sao  Luiz  Caceres  were  from  France,  which  they  had 
been  compelled  to  leave  on  account  of  the  iniquitous  Lois 
d’ Associations.  But,  although  exiled  from  the  land  of  their 
birth  and  far  away  from  those  who  were  near  and  dear 
to  them,  they  were  happy  in  their  work — “pour  le  bon 
Dieu as  they  fervently  expressed  it — and  had  no  com- 
plaint to  make  of  the  cruelty  of  the  government  which 
had  forced  them  to  live  so  far  away  from  home  and  friends. 
Like  the  children  of  Don  Bosco,  the  religious  of  Sao  Luiz 
Caceres  have  the  zeal  of  apostles  and  the  courage  of 
martyrs. 

The  father  superior  of  the  college — still  in  the  glow  of 
youthful  manhood — told  me  of  a journey  he  had  just  made 
to  the  old  and  now  almost  abandoned  city  of  Matto  Grosso 
—the  former  capital  of  the  state — in  order  to  minister  to 
the  spiritual  wants  of  the  people  living  there  and  in  the 
vicinity.  The  distance  to  be  traversed — going  and  return- 
ing— was  nearly  five  hundred  miles.  The  road  was  little 
more  than  a picada — bridle-path — and  passed,  for  the  most 
part,  through  a wilderness.  His  only  means  of  locomotion 
was  an  old  steer.  On  this  slow-going  animal  he  had  to 
carry  everything  he  needed  during  his  absence  from  home 
— including  provisions  while  on  the  way.  His  only  shelter, 
en  route,  was  a chance  tree  by  the  wayside  or  the  canopy 
of  heaven.  His  bed  was  the  bare  earth  or  a few  palm 
leaves.  “I  did  not  mind  this,”  he  said,  “because  I have 
served  my  time  as  a French  soldier  and  I like  living  in 
the  open.  But  when  the  rivers  were  swollen  by  the  heavy 
rains  and  I was  obliged  to  wait  for  them  to  subside,  often 
for  a week  at  a time,  it  was  not  so  pleasant.” 

“And  how  did  you  occupy  yourself  in  the  wilderness,” 
I asked,  “during  these  long  delays?”  “Ma  foi,”  he  re- 
plied, smiling,  ‘ ‘ there  was  nothing  to  be  done  except  to  sit 
on  the  river  bank  and  look  at  my  toes.” 

457 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Several  times  he  told  me  liow  glad  he  was  that  I had 
come  to  see  him  and  his  confreres.  I did  not  know  his 
reason  for  this  repetition  until  he  remarked:  “Don’t  you 
know,  mon  pere,  that  you  are  the  first  clerical  visitor  I 
have  had  in  three  years'?  The  last  priest  to  visit  me  came 
from  Bolivia,  and  he  was  obliged  to  make  the  entire  jour- 
ney of  nearly  four  hundred  miles — one  way,  figurez-vous — 
on  mule-back.” 

I have  not  heard  from  the  good  fathers  since  I said 
good-by  to  them  in  Sao  Luiz  Caceres.  But,  if  they  are  no 
longer  engaged  in  the  work  of  education  and  religion  in 
the  wilds  of  Matto  Grosso,  it  is  because  they  are  now,  like 
so  many  thousand  other  French  priests,  valiantly  fighting 
for  their  country  in  the  trenches  of  northern  France.  And, 
if  the  devoted  sisters  are  yet  living,  they  are,  I am  sure  of 
it,  still  at  their  post  in  the  outskirts  of  the  Brazilian  wil- 
derness, or  are  nursing  their  sick  and  wounded  countrymen 
on  the  battlefields  of  their  loved  France — that  France 
which,  in  spite  of  the  injustice  and  cruelty  of  its  mole-eyed 
legislators,  they  have  never  ceased  to  love  with  an  abiding 
and  an  unmeasured  love. 

If  one  wishes  to  learn  the  might  and  majesty  of  self- 
sacrifice,  to  study  the  spirit  of  purposeful  self-immolation, 
of  religious  and  patriotic  exaltation,  at  its  best,  highest 
and  holiest,  translated  into  noble  and  inspiring  deeds,  let 
him  become  acquainted  with  the  lives  and  achievements  of 
the  religious  who  have  consecrated  their  youth  and  talent 
and  ambition  to  the  service  of  God  and  their  neighbor 
in  the  jungles  of  the  tropics,  or  in  the  desolate  regions  of 
Tierra  del  Fuego. 

Five  leagues  above  Sao  Luiz  de  Caceres  we  bade  adieu 
to  the  Paraguay  and  entered  its  fascinating  affluent,  the 
Rio  Sepotuba.  The  weeks  we  had  spent  on  the  Paraguay 
had  been  weeks  of  unfailing  delight.  Considering  it,  and 
not  the  Parana,  as  the  main  river  of  the  great  system  to 
which  it  belongs — as  the  earlier  writers  were  wont  to  do — 

458 


THE  HOME  OF  BIRDS  AND  PALMS 


we  were  now  nearly  two  thousand  miles  from  where  its  wa- 
ters mingle  with  those  of  the  Atlantic.  During  this  long 
course  we  had  neither  accidents  nor  delays.  We  had  seen 
several  steamers  stranded  on  the  changing  sand-bars  and 
mud-banks  of  the  river,  but,  thanks  to  the  ever-watcliful 
care  of  our  captains  and  pilots,  we  always  managed  to 
keep  in  the  deepest  part  of  the  channel.  Traveling,  as  we 
did,  during  the  rainy  season,  we  escaped  the  dangers  and 
delays  which  are  always  inevitable  during  the  dry  season 
for,  during  the  period  of  flood,  the  water  is  much  higher 
than  during  the  rest  of  the  year.  At  Corumba  and  Cuyaba, 
for  instance,  the  river  frequently  rises  more  than  thirty 
feet,  while  at  intervening  points  there  is  a corresponding 
elevation  of  the  river’s  surface. 

The  headwaters  of  the  Paraguay  had  always  possessed 
a particular  interest  for  me  ever  after  I had  read  the 
graphic  descriptions  of  them  by  the  eminent  French  ex- 
plorer and  savant,  Count  de  Castelnau,  whose  exhaustive 
“Expedition  dans  les  Parties  Centrales  d’Amerique  du 
Sud”  proved  as  great  a revelation  of  the  wonders  of  Cen- 
tral South  America  as  Humboldt’s  epochal  “Voyage  aux 
Regions  Equinoctiales  du  Nouveau  Continent”  had  been 
of  the  territory  north  of  the  Amazon.  ‘ ‘ The  source  of  the 
Paraguay,”  says  Castelnau,  “marks  one  of  the  most  curi- 
ous points  on  the  continent.  For  here,”  he  tells  us,  “are 
found,  but  a few  paces  apart,  the  fountain-heads  of  two 
of  the  greatest  rivers  in  the  world — the  Amazon  and  La 
Plata.”  1 The  owner  of  the  property  at  this  spot,  the  same 
writer  informs  us,  made  the  water  of  one  stream  flow  into 
the  other  with  the  sole  object  of  irrigating  his  garden.  He 
also  declares  that  canoes  have  been  transferred  from 
the  Cuyaba  to  the  Arinos  with  a portage  of  only  four 
leagues.2 

In  truth,  the  basin  of  the  Amazon  has  been  in  communi- 

1 Tom.  II,  p.  357. 

* Ibid.,  p.  358. 

459 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


cation  with  that  of  the  Paraguay,  by  way  of  the  Tapajos, 
for  nearly  two  centuries.  As  early  as  1746  the  Portuguese 
sergeant-major,  Joao  de  Souza  Azevedo,  with  an  expedi- 
tion consisting  of  six  canoes  and  fifty-four  men,  made  the 
journey  from  the  Rio  Jauru  to  Para,  and  returned  to  his 
point  of  departure  by  way  of  Madeira  and  the  Guapore.1 
Even  four  years  before  this  time,  Matto  Grosso  was  put 
in  communication  with  Para  by  the  daring  of  the  Portu- 
guese adventurer,  Manoel  Felix  de  Lima,  who  first  showed 
the  navigability  of  the  Guapore,  Mamore  and  Madeira.2 
“This  latter,”  according  to  the  scholarly  Brazilian  writer, 
Joao  Saveriano  da  Fonseca,  “was  the  route  followed  by 
the  captains-general  in  their  voyages,  and  the  route  by 
which,  for  a long  time,  was  transported  almost  all  the  com- 
merce of  the  province.”3 

Even  today  both  these  routes — by  the  Madeira  and  by 
the  Tapajos — are  still  used.  When  we  were  in  Corumba, 
we  saw  a large  canoe,  carrying  nearly  a ton,  which  had 
come  from  the  Amazon  by  way  of  the  Tapajos  and  the 
Paraguay. 

As  we  took  our  last  look  at  the  Paraguay,  on  entering 
the  Sepotuba,  I felt  a slight  pang  of  regret  that  we  had 
not  adhered  to  our  original  plan  of  going  to  its  headwaters, 
or  those  of  the  Cuyaba,  and  thence  making  our  way  to 
the  Amazon  by  the  Arinos  and  the  Tapajos.  But  I found 
some  compensation  in  the  thought  that,  if  we  could  not 
carry  the  Stars  and  Stripes  up  either  of  these  waters  in 
their  upper  reaches,  they  had  been  flown  to  the  breeze 

1 ‘ ‘ Vias  de  Communicacao  ’ ’ de  Matto  Grosso,  p.  12  and  13,  by  Barao  de 
MelgaQO,  Cuyaba,  1905. 

2 Unless  we  accept,  as  true,  the  statement  of  Fernandez  in  his  “Relacion 
Historial  de  las  Misiones  de  Indios  Chiquitos,  ” p.  69,  Madrid,  1895,  that  some 
of  the  companions  of  the  Conquistador,  Nuflo  de  Chaves,  “ embarcandose  en  una 
pequena  embarcacion  en  el  rio  Mamore,  entraon  por  la  boca  del  rio  Maranon 
en  el  Oceano,  y con  no  poca  ventura,  llegaron  a Europa.  ” 

3 Op.  cit.,  Tom.  I,  p.  122.  Rio  de  Janeiro,  1880.  “Eram  esses  rios  o 
caninho  por  onde  iam  e vinliam  os  capitSes-generaes;  por  onde  durante  muitos 
annos  se  fez  quasi  todo  o commercio  da  capitania.  ” 

460 


THE  HOME  OF  BIRDS  AND  PALMS 


on  both  of  these  streams  by  a distinguished  countryman 
of  ours  more  than  half  a century  before.  This  was  Cap- 
tain Thomas  Jefferson  Page,  United  States  Navy,  who, 
under  the  orders  of  the  United  States  Government,  had 
explored  not  only  the  lower  Paraguay  and  its  tributaries 
in  the  famous  Water  Witch,  but  had  also,  in  the  Alpha,  ex- 
plored the  Sao  Lourengo  and  the  Cuyaba,  and  had  ascended 
the  part  of  the  Paraguay  which  we  were  not  to  see,  almost 
to  its  source,  and  had,  besides,  gone  up  the  Sepotuba  full 
seventy-five  miles  above  its  embouchure.1 

The  morning  after  leaving  Sao  Luiz  de  Caceres,  we 
landed  at  a fazenda  known  as  Porto  do  Campo.  Here 
we  had  to  leave  the  Nyoac,  for  the  river  had  now  become 
too  shallow  for  a vessel  of  even  her  light  draught.  In  her 
stead,  our  only  means  of  transportation  further  upstream 
was  a small  gasoline  launch  and  a barge  somewhat  larger. 
Even  these  two  craft  were  not  spacious  enough  to  convey 
all  of  our  party  and  equipment  at  the  same  time.  For 
this  reason  two  trips  were  necessary.  Harper  and  Cherrie 
and  some  of  the  Brazilians  preceded  the  rest  of  the  expe- 
dition who  went  into  camp  until  the  launch  and  barge 
returned.  We  remained  almost  a week  at  Porto  do  Campo 
and,  for  the  first  time  during  our  journey,  we  lived  in  our 
tents.  As  they  were  large,  and  thoroughly  waterproof,  we 
felt  quite  at  home  in  them.  For  weeks,  all  of  our  party  had 
been  looking  forward  to  this  life  in  the  open  and  we  were 
delighted  when  our  tents  were  pitched  and  ready  for  occu- 
pancy. All  of  us  were  lovers  of  wild  nature  and,  after 
having  been  so  long  feted  and  pampered  during  our  tour 

14<La  Plata,  the  Argentine  Confederation  and  Paraguay.”  New  York, 
1859,  the  volume  in  which  Commander  Page  gives  an  account  of  the  work  of 
the  first  American  expedition  up  the  Paraguay  and  its  affluents  is  still  one  of 
the  best  and  most  interesting  books  in  English  which  have  yet  been  written  on 
the  part  of  South  America  of  which  it  treats. 

Referring  to  Captain  Page’s  ascent  of  the  Sepotuba  Sr.  Fonseca,  op.  cit., 
Tom.  I,  p.  109,  declares  that  this  explorer  ‘‘subiu  esse  affluente  no  pequeno 
vapor  Brasileiro  Alpha  par  mais  de  cento  e vinte  kilometros.  ” 

461 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


through  South  America,  we  felt  a touch  of  that  “nostalgia 
for  the  strange  which,”  as  Flaubert  truthfully  observes, 
“all  born  wanderers  know.” 

The  time  spent  at  Porto  do  Campo  was  most  pleasant 
for  all  of  us  and  an  unusually  profitable  one  for  our  hunt- 
ers and  naturalists.  Colonel  Roosevelt  was  as  happy  as 
a schoolboy  on  a picnic,  for  he  was  here  able  to  bag  more 
big  game.  After  the  jaguar,  the  animal  he  was  most  eager 
to  secure  was  the  tapir — the  anta  of  the  Portuguese  and 
the  gran  bestia  of  the  early  Spaniards.  He  was  interested 
in  Tapirus  Americanus  not  so  much  on  account  of  its  size 
as  because  of  its  being  peculiar  to  South  America  and 
because,  also,  of  its  intimate  relation  to  several  strange 
species  of  the  geologic  past.  Besides  the  tapir,  he  was 
fortunate  in  obtaining  here  several  other  mammals  which 
specially  appealed  to  him  as  a naturalist.  Among  these 
were  bush  deer  and  white-lipped  peccaries.  He  had  pre- 
viously added  a capybara  and  an  ant-eater  to  the  ever- 
increasing  collection  of  the  expedition. 

After  the  Colonel  had  bagged  the  tapir  and  the  pec- 
caries, I remarked  to  him  that  he  had  now  secured  just 
the  animals  we  had  talked  about  in  the  White  House  six 
years  previously.  “Yes,”  he  said  gleefully,  “I  have  got- 
ten specimens  of  all  the  mammals  I was  most  eager  to 
have  and  am  now  perfectly  satisfied,  if  I do  not  get  a shot 
at  another  animal.”  I am  sure,  however,  he  would  have 
been  very  glad  to  come  across  one  of  those  fifty-  or  sixty- 
foot  boas  or  anacondas  about  which  people  in  all  parts  of 
South  America  like  to  talk,  but  which  nobody  seems  ever 
to  have  seen.  Although  these  mammoth  reptiles  were  fre- 
quently spoken  of  by  members  of  our  expedition,  the  Colo- 
nel always  manifested  the  greatest  skepticism  about  their 
existence. 

We  tarried  at  Porto  do  Campo  from  the  seventh  until 
the  thirteenth  of  January.  While  Colonel  Roosevelt  and 
Rondon,  Kermit  and  Fiala  were  out  hunting,  Miller,  Sigg 

462 


THE  HOME  OF  BIRDS  AND  PALMS 


and  some  of  the  Brazilian  naturalists  were  occupied  in 
preserving  and  skinning  the  animals  which  were  brought 
to  camp.  But  Sigg  was  the  factotum  of  the  party.  He 
could  turn  his  hand  to  almost  anything  from  a hypodermic 
needle  to  a motor-boat.  He  was  the  professional  nurse 
of  the  expedition  and  was  always  at  the  service  of  those 
who  needed  his  care.  He  surprised  us  all  by  running  our 
motor-boat  from  Caceres  to  Porto  do  Campo  without  a 
guide,  during  a pitch-dark  night  and  in  a heavy  downpour. 
Where  there  are  so  many  side  channels,  tributary  streams 
and  bayous  as  there  are  along  this  stretch  of  the  Sepotuba, 
it  is  a wonder  he  did  not  lose  his  way.  A few  days  after- 
ward he  distinguished  himself  by  a similar  exploit.  On 
this  occasion,  some  of  our  hunters  had  failed  to  return 
to  camp  until  a late  hour  of  the  night.  Thinking  they 
might  have  lost  their  way  and  come  out  of  the  forest  at 
some  point  up  the  river,  Sigg,  with  a companion,  took  the 
motor-boat  and  started  upstream  in  search  of  them. 
Neither  the  darkness  of  the  night  nor  ignorance  of  the 
course  of  the  tortuous  and  impetuous  Sepotuba  deterred 
him  for  an  instant  from  rushing  to  the  assistance  of  our 
belated  sportsmen.  Nor  did  the  loss  of  sleep  perceptibly 
affect  him.  After  a stretch  of  a few  hours  in  his  ham- 
mock, he  was  as  fresh  as  ever  and  ready  to  help  Miller 
in  skinning  a tapir  or  to  take  Lieutenant  Lyra  on  a busi- 
ness trip  to  Caceres  and  back. 

Although  the  distance,  in  a straight  line,  from  Porto 
do  Campo  to  Tapirapuhan  is  less  than  fifty  miles,  it  re- 
quired three  full  days  to  make  the  trip.  This  was  due 
not  only  to  the  numerous  curves  of  the  river,  but  also,  and 
more  especially,  to  its  very  strong  current.  In  several 
places  the  inclination  of  the  channel  was  so  great  that 
rapids  were  formed.  In  these,  at  times,  our  launch  actu- 
ally stood  still  and  it  looked  as  if  further  progress  were 
impossible.  But  by  poling  and  pulling  on  the  overhang- 
ing branches  of  trees,  we  were  able  to  extricate  ourselves 

463 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


from  these  threatening  barriers  and  to  continue  our  slow 
advance  towards  our  destination. 

But  no  one  objected  to  these  apparent  drawbacks. 
There  was  something  romantic  about  our  trip  up  this  part 
of  the  river  which,  in  spite  of  our  cramped  condition  on 
our  two  small  craft,  everyone  thoroughly  enjoyed.  On  the 
Nyoac  we  had  been  able  to  go  forward  by  night  as  well 
as  by  day.  Now,  for  several  reasons,  it  was  considered 
advisable  to  travel  only  during  the  daytime.  About  an 
hour  before  sunset,  our  boats  were  moored  near  the  river’s 
bank,  where  we  remained  until  the  following  morning. 
Colonel  Roosevelt  and  I slept  on  the  launch,  where  there 
was  room  for  only  two  small  cots,  while  Colonel  Rondon 
and  many  of  the  other  members  of  the  expedition  sought 
repose  in  their  hammocks  stretched  between  neighboring 
trees.  Contrary  to  what  most  of  us  expected,  we  were  not 
molested  by  mosquitoes  or  other  insects  that  are  sup- 
posed to  foregather  in  myriads  in  every  tropical  forest 
and  to  make  life  unendurable  for  those  who  venture  to 
spend  the  night  there.  ‘ 1 1 would  not  have  believed  it,  ’ ’ ex- 
claimed Colonel  Roosevelt  in  surprise,  “if  I had  not  seen 
it  myself.”  Neither  was  the  temperature  unpleasantly 
high.  This,  for  several  of  our  party,  was  a surprise  which 
was  quite  as  agreeable  as  was  the  absence  of  noxious 
insects. 

Personally,  I shall  always  most  fondly  remember  our 
journey  up  the  Sepotuba  for  two  things — the  wonderful 
communities  of  troopials  which  we  saw  in  several  places 
and  the  extraordinary  exhibition  of  palms  which  fringed 
both  banks  of  the  river.  All  along  the  Paraguay  we  had 
seen  immense  tracts  of  land  covered  with  palm  trees  of 
many  species,  but  nowhere  did  we  find  these  “princes  of 
the  vegetable  world,”  as  Humboldt  calls  them,  in  such  glo- 
rious exuberance  and  of  such  surpassing  beauty.  In  this 
respect,  the  lands  bordering  the  Sepotuba  and  the  Para- 
guay are  quite  unlike  those  contiguous  to  the  Amazon, 

464 


Part  op  Our  Camp  at  Porto  do  Campo.  Author’s  Tent  at  the  Left; 
Colonel  Roosevelt’s  in  the  Center. 


Communities  op  Troopials. 


THE  HOME  OF  BIRDS  AND  PALMS 


the  Orinoco  and  the  Magdalena.  For,  along  these  last- 
named  rivers,  extensive  palmares  are  so  rare  that  certain 
naturalists,  whose  observations  have  been  confined  to  the 
neighborhood  of  these  great  waterways,  have  not  hesi- 
tated to  declare  that  palms,  unlike  our  pines  and  firs  and 
redwoods,  are  rarely,  if  ever,  associated  in  large  numbers. 

As  I contemplated  the  ever-increasing  marvels  of  the 
palmares  along  the  Sepotuba,  I forgot  that  we  were  fol- 
lowing in  the  wake  of  such  brave  explorers  as  Azevedo  and 
Page.  I forgot  that  we  were  passing  through  the  great 
Matta  da  Poaya,  which  is  so  rich  in  vanilla  and  which, 
early  in  the  last  century,  supplied  the  world  with  a great 
part  of  its  ipecacuanha.  There  were  trees  and  bushes — 
covered  with  blue  and  red  and  yellow  and  scarlet  flowers — 
which  seemed  draped  with  the  most  brilliant  of  Tunisian 
rugs.  But  all  these  things,  which  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances would  have  made  a strong  appeal  to  me,  possessed 
then  but  secondary  interest. 

The  first  community  of  troopials  which  I saw  on  the 
Cuyaba  did  not  count  more  than  a score  of  nests.  Subse- 
quently I saw  single  trees  on  which  there  were  sixty  and 
seventy  nests.  But,  the  day  before  our  arrival  at  Tapi- 
rapuhan,  we  saw  a tree  on  which  there  were  fully  a hun- 
dred nests.  I was  able  to  count  eighty-nine.  But  several 
of  them  coalesced  so  that  they  appeared  to  form  but  one, 
while  others  were  so  concealed  by  the  dense  mass  of  foliage 
that  I could  only  approximate  the  total  number.  One  of 
the  largest  communities  of  these  singular  birds,  whose  spe- 
cific name,  according  to  Cherrie,  is  oro-pendula,  was  found 
on  a stately  palm  tree  in  front  of  the  large  residence  on 
the  fazenda  of  Palmital.  Never  did  I see  a more  beautiful 
picture  of  the  bird-world  than  this.  There  were  dozens  of 
mother-birds  continually  carrying  food  to  their  delicate 
nestlings,  while  others  were  chirping,  twittering,  singing 
and  hovering  about  their  graceful,  pendulous  nests,  as  if 
loath  to  leave  what  was  indeed  a birds’  paradise. 

465 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


The  natives  say  that  these  birds  always  establish  their 
communities  in  the  vicinity  of  human  habitations.  So  far 
as  my  own  observation  goes,  this  statement  seems  to  be 
true.  But  of  one  thing  I am  quite  sure.  If  some  good 
jinnee  were  to  offer  to  bring  me  from  Brazilian  birdland, 
what  pleased  me  most  while  I was  there,  I should  certainly 
ask  him  to  fetch  me  the  wonderful  palm  tree  with  the  happy 
family  of  orioles  which  so  charmed  me  on  the  emerald  bank 
of  the  Sepotuba. 

During  our  three  days’  journey  from  Porto  do  Campo 
to  Tapirapuhan,  we  passed  between  two  magnificent  colon- 
nades of  palms — one  on  each  bank  of  the  river.  We  were 
now  in  the  most  beautiful  natural  shrine  I had  ever  beheld, 
or  ever  hope  to  behold — the  favored  shrine  of  Dea 
Palmaris.  There  were  palms  of  many  species  and  of  all 
sizes — from  the  humble  but  graceful  ariry — Cocos  lilipu- 
tiana — to  the  stately  bacairuva — Acrocoru  sclerocarpa.1 
Of  some,  the  foliage  was  as  delicate  as  that  of  the  drooping 
bamboo  by  their  side;  of  others,  the  gorgeous  fronds  were 
from  forty  to  fifty  feet  in  length  and  six  to  eight  feet  in 
width.  In  some  cases  the  boles  were  as  tall  and  as 
smoothly  turned  as  the  masts  of  a great  merchantman, 
while  in  others  there  was  little  more  than  an  indication  of 
a visible  stem.  Some  palms,  like  the  burity,  always  grow 
near  the  water’s  edge,  while  others  thrive  best  on  the  ele- 
vated ground,  where  the  soil  is  less  moist.  Like  other  trees 
along  the  river,  the  palms  were  loaded  with  air-plants  and 
other  parasites.  One  morning,  shortly  after  sunrise,  I 
noticed,  just  under  the  crown  of  a majestic  bacairuva,  an 
exquisite  cluster  of  orchids.  Their  color  could  be  best 
described  in  the  words  of  Dante,  who  was  always  so  exact 
in  his  descriptions  as, 

Men  che  di  rose  e piu  que  di  viole 

1 This,  according  to  Herr  Hoehne,  the  botanist  of  our  expedition,  is  the 
name  of  the  large  palm  in  question. 

466 


THE  HOME  OF  BIRDS  AND  PALMS 


— less  (vivid)  than  that  of  roses,  but  more  than  that  of 
violets. 

The  number  of  species  of  palms  along  the  Sepotuba  im- 
pressed me  even  more  than  the  number  and  beauty  and 
exuberance  of  the  individuals.  Linnaeus  was  acquainted 
with  only  fifteen  species,  whereas  there  are  in  Brazil  alone 
more  than  four  hundred  species  1 and  nearly  fifty  genera. 
And,  wonderful  to  relate,  nearly  two-thirds  of  these  species 
were  discovered  and  described  by  two  men.  One  of  these 
was  the  eminent  Bavarian  naturalist,  Karl  Friedrich  von 
Martius,  whose  elaborate  “Flora  Brasiliensis”  is  one  of 
the  greatest  botanical  works  in  existence.  But  it  was  his 
monumental  “Historia  Naturalis  Palmarum,”  in  three 
splendidly  illustrated  folio  volumes,  that  first  directed  the 
attention  of  the  botanists  of  the  world  to  the  marvelous 
variety  and  loveliness  of  the  palms  of  Brazil. 

For  a long  time  it  was  thought  that  Von  Martius  had 
virtually  exhausted  the  subject.  But  a few  decades  later, 
the  illustrious  Brazilian  botanist,  Barbosa  Rodrigues,  be- 
gan to  make  a special  study  of  these  attractive  phanero- 
gams. His  investigations  led  him  to  all  parts  of  this 
extensive  country.  For  thirty  years  he  traversed  the  vast 
selva  of  the  Amazon  basin,  the  sertao  of  Matto  Grosso, 
the  lands  drained  by  the  Paraguay  and  its  affluents,  and 
with  such  success  in  discovering  new  species  that  he  more 
than  doubled  the  number  which  had  been  made  known  to 
science  by  Von  Martius.  His  masterly  “Sertum  Palmarum 


1 The  exact  number  of  Brazilian  species  in  1898,  according  to  Barbosa  Rod- 
rigues, was  four  hundred  and  ten.  Of  these  the  illustrious  botanist  discovered 
and  described  no  fewer  than  134  species,  as  against  the  128  species  discovered 
and  described  by  Von  Martius.  The  total  number  of  known  species  in  the 
whole  world  was,  at  the  date  mentioned,  estimated  to  be  about  1,200.  Refer- 
ring to  the  prodigious  number  of  Brazilian  species,  J.  Barbosa  Rodrigues  re- 
marks, with  justifiable  pride,  that  these  represent  the  labor  of  practically  two 
men- — podese  dizer  que  representao  so  trabalho  de  dots  homens.  ‘ ‘ Palmae 
Mattogrossenes  Novae  val  Minus  Cognitae  quas  collegit  Descripsit  et  Iconibus 
Ulustravit,  ” J.  Barbosa  Rodrigues,  pp.  XVIII  and  89.  Rio  de  Janeiro,  1898. 

467 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Brasiliensium”  is  second  only  to  that  of  his  illustrious 
Bavarian  predecessor. 

No  less  remarkable  than  the  great  number  of  species  of 
this  interesting  family  of  Flora  are  the  countless  uses  to 
which  palms  are  put  by  the  children  of  the  forest.  For 
they  supply  the  natives  with  materials  for  building  their 
toldos  and  malocas — names  of  their  rude  habitations — and 
for  making  the  furniture  with  which  they  are  provided. 
From  the  leaves  of  the  palm  the  Indian  makes  mats,  bags, 
fans,  hats,  baskets  and  hammocks.  From  its  fibers  he 
makes  ropes,  twine,  seines,  fishing-lines  and  bowstrings. 
From  the  wood  he  fashions  his  little  dugout  and  his  im- 
plements of  husbandry  and  warfare:  his  hoe  and  plow; 
his  pumps,  water-tubes  and  musical  instruments;  the  sar- 
cabana — the  dread  blow-gun  through  which  he  stealthily 
and  noiselessly  launches  his  deadly  curare-tipped  darts 
against  his  unsuspecting  enemy.  From  the  pahn,  also,  he 
procures  washing  and  toilet  soaps;  wax  and  oil  for  light; 
salt  and  vinegar  for  seasoning  his  food;  water  for  quench- 
ing his  thirst;  wine  and  brandy  for  his  feasts;  fruits  and 
meal  for  his  daily  aliment,  and  efficacious  remedies  for 
many  of  the  ills  to  which  he  is  subject.  No  other  vegetable 
family,  declares  Barbosa  Bodrigues,  is  so  useful  to  man, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  free  from  all  traces  of  poison.1 

Some  palms,  like  the  tucum  or  the  piassaba,  are  spe- 
cially valuable  on  account  of  their  long  and  strong  fibers, 
which  are  used  for  making  brushes,  brooms  and  numer- 
ous other  articles.  The  cordage  made  from  them  is  much 
more  durable  than  that  produced  from  hemp.  The  endo- 
carps  of  the  fruits  of  others  are  used  as  a substitute  for 
ivory  in  the  manufacture  of  rings,  trinkets  and  small  bibe- 
lots. The  large  leaves  of  the  obo^u  and  jupaty  are  particu- 

1“Aucun  produit  des  palmiers  n’est  toxique;  tous  sont  bienfaisants. 
“Sertum  Palmarum  Brasiliensium,  ou  Relation  des  Palmiers  Nouveaux  du 
Bresil,  Decouvertes,  Decrits  et  Dessines  d’apres  Nature.”  Tom.  I,  p.  XXVI. 
Brussels,  1903. 


468 


Palmares  in  Inundated  Territory. 


THE  HOME  OF  BIRDS  AND  PALMS 


larly  useful  for  thatching  houses,  for  they  resist  the  burn- 
ing sun  and  the  heavy  downpours  of  the  tropics  for  twenty 
years  and  more. 

But  there  are  still  other  species  of  palm  which  supply 
so  many  of  the  wants  of  the  natives  that  they  are  deserv- 
edly called  as  arvores  da  vida — the  trees  of  life.  Among 
these  are  the  mority,  the  burity,  and  the  carnauba.  Each 
of  these,  like  the  coco-palm  “by  the  Indian  Sea,  on  the 
isles  of  balm,”  of  which  Whittier  sings,  is  to  the  children 
of  the  tropical  forests 

A gift  divine, 

Wherein  all  uses  of  man  combine, — 

House  and  raiment  and  food  and  wine. 

How  hard  would  not  be  the  lot  of  the  traveler  in  the 
equinoctial  regions  were  it  not  for  the  ubiquitous  palm! 
Its  hidden  reservoirs  furnish  a delicious  beverage ; its 
fruits  and  tender  terminal  leaves,  wholesome  and  palatable 
food;  its  broad  fronds  can  in  a moment  be  converted  into 
a mayary,  under  which  one  finds  shelter  from  the  heaviest 
rainstorm.  The  Prince  of  Neuwied,  whose  “Beitrage  zur 
Naturgeschichte  Brasiliens”  gives  him  an  honored  place 
among  the  distinguished  German  naturalists  who  have  con- 
tributed so  much  towards  making  known  to  the  world  the 
unrivaled  flora  and  fauna  of  Brazil,  declares  with  truth: 
“The  family  of  pahns  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  gifts 
which  Providence  has  bestowed  on  the  regions  of  the 
equator.” 

It  is  not  surprising,  then,  that  palms — the  representa- 
tives of  a dynasty  that  extends  back  to  the  distant  geo- 
logic past,  of  a dynasty  which  exhibits  a peculiar  cachet 
of  distinction,  of  strength,  of  beauty,  of  utility — hold  them- 
selves apart  from  the  crowd  that  presses  round  about  them. 
For  this  reason  poets  as  well  as  naturalists  unite  in  ac- 
claiming them  as  the  kings  and  the  queens  of  the  forest, 

469 


.THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


and  for  this  reason,  too,  they  occupy  so  prominent  a place 
in  the  legends  of  all  peoples  who  are  familiar  with  their 
matchless  loveliness  and  their  far-reaching  utility. 

Plutarch  tells  us  of  a Babylonian  hymn  which  recounts 
the  three  hundred  and  sixty  benefits  which  palms  confer 
on  humanity.  The  author  of  this  hymn  probably  knew  lit- 
tle of  any  of  this  family,  except  the  date-palm  which  is 
so  highly  valued  in  all  parts  of  the  Orient.  How  he  would 
have  multiplied  the  number  of  benefits  accruing  from  these 
trees  could  he  have  been  informed  of  the  four  hundred 
and  more  species  of  Brazil! 

In  pre-Christian  times  the  palm  was  regarded  as  a 
sacred  tree — as  the  symbol  of  the  sun,  of  strength,  of 
riches,  of  triumph.  Since  the  earliest  ages  of  the  Church, 
it  has  been  symbolic  of  the  martyr’s  crown,  of  the  reward 
of  the  just,  of  spiritual  victory,  of  a glorious  immortal- 
ity. 

When  the  Holy  Family,  a venerable  legend  declares, 
were  traversing  the  deserts  of  Egypt,  during  their  flight 
from  the  fury  of  Herod,  the  Virgin  Mother  allayed  her 
hunger  by  partaking  of  the  fruit  of  the  palm  beneath 
whose  shade  she  was  reposing.  The  Infant  Savior  then 
blessed  it  and  made  it,  thenceforth,  the  symbol  of  eternal 
life  and  declared,  at  the  same  time,  that  with  palms  He 
would  make  His  triumphal  entry  into  Jerusalem. 

As  I contemplated  with  ever-increasing  delight  the 
graceful  and  stately  palms  of  the  Sepotuba,  I recalled  the 
exquisite  “Cangao  do  Exilio” — Song  of  the  Exile — written 
by  the  Longfellow  of  Brazil,  A.  Gongalves  Dias.  Many 
translations  of  it  have  been  made  into  various  languages, 
but  none  of  them  reveals  the  exquisite  lyric  beauty  and 
delicacy  of  the  original.  It  is  the  Brazilian  “Home,  Sweet 
Home” — poignant  saudades  expressed  in  sweetest  rhyth- 
mic melody.  No  one  can  visit  “the  home  of  birds 
and  palms”  without  sympathizing  with  the  homesick  exile 
when  he  sings : 


470 


THE  HOME  OF  BIRDS  AND  PALMS 


“Mine  is  the  country  where  the  palm  trees  rear 
Their  stately  heads  towards  the  azure  sky, 

And  where,  in  accents  soft  and  clear, 

The  sabia  sings  her  hymn  of  melody ; 

Here,  in  my  exile,  say  what  warblers  rare 
Can  with  the  sabia ’s  notes  their  own  compare? 

“Our  skies  are  strewn  with  stars,  our  fields  with  flowers, 

Our  woods  resound  with  bird  and  insect  life, 

Our  life ’s  a dream  of  love  in  fairy  bowers, 

Where  Nature’s  lavish  gifts  are  ever  rife; 

Bright  land  of  palms ! where  the  sweet  sabia  sings, 

The  exile’s  heart  to  thee  still  fondly  clings.” 

Nor  can  anyone  read  without  emotion  the  closing  strophe 
of  the  poet-exile’s  “Cangao  do  Exilio”  wherein  he  voices 
the  pathetic  prayer  that  he  may  be  permitted  to  return  to 
his  native  land  and  that  he  may  once  again  hear  the  dulcet 
notes  of  the  sabia ’s  song  and  contemplate,  under  the  bright 
blue  skies  of  his  beloved  Brazil,  those  noble  palmeiras 
which  had  so  long  been  his  pride  and  joy. 

Nao  permitta  Deos  que  eu  morra, 

Sem  que  eu  volte  par  la; 

Sem  que  desfructe  os  primores 
Que  nao  encontro  por  ca; 

Sem  qu’  inda  aviste  as  palmeiras 
Onde  cante  o sabia.1 

But,  like  the  author  of  “Home,  Sweet  Home,”  the 
singer  of  Minina  terra  tem  palmeiras  was  never  again  to 
see  his  cherished  birthplace,  never  again  to  hear  the  sweet- 
voiced sabia  and  never  more  to  gaze  on  his  beloved  palms. 
He  did,  indeed,  embark  for  the  home  of  his  youth,  but  the 
vessel  on  which  he  took  passage  was  wrecked  before  he 
reached  the  longed-for  land  of  his  heart’s  desire  and  the 
mortal  remains  of  one  of  Brazil’s  most  gifted  poets  found 
their  final  resting-place  in  the  bottom  of  the  deep  Atlantic. 

1 The  sabia,  which  reminds  one  of  the  nightingale,  is  the  favorite  song- 
bird of  Brazil. 


471 


CHAPTER  XX 


JOURNEYING  IN  THE  JUNGLE 

Three  days,  almost  to  tlie  hour,  after  leaving  Porto 
do  Campo  we  arrived  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the 
Sepotuba.  This  was  at  a small  village  called  Tapirapulian, 
which  is  one  of  the  stations  of  the  Brazilian  Telegraphic 
Commission,  as  well  as  the  headquarters  of  a large  cattle 
ranch.  All  the  inhabitants  were  at  the  landing  on  our 
arrival  and  the  great  square  of  the  village  was  gayly  deco- 
rated with  bunting,  Chinese  lanterns,  and  flags  of  various 
countries,  among  which  the  Stars  and  Stripes  occupied  a 
conspicuous  place. 

We  were  loath  to  leave  the  An  jo  D’  Aventura,  the  lit- 
tle gasoline  launch  on  which  we  had  spent  three  most  de- 
lightful days.  But  we  were  also  glad.  For  several  weeks 
we  had  been  traveling  by  what  Pascal  so  aptly  designates 
les  chemins  qui  marchent  and  what  the  Spaniards  call  ca- 
minos  andantes — flowing  roads.  For  many  parts  of  South 
America,  especially  the  dense  and  swampy  regions  of 
Brazil,  Venezuela  and  Colombia,  they  are  the  only  means  of 
locomotion  possible.  Now,  however,  we  had  reached  the 
Campos  dos  Parecis,  the  dry  uplands  between  the  Serras 
de  Tapirapuhan  and  the  Serra  dos  Parecis.  And  we  were 
rapidly  approaching  the  watershed  between  the  great 
drainage  basins  of  the  Paraguay  and  the  Amazon.  Al- 
though the  elevation  of  Tapirapuhan  above  sea  level  is  but 
little  more  than  eight  hundred  feet,  the  land  as  one  pro- 
ceeds north  continues  to  rise  until  at  the  divide,  near  Aldea 
Queimada,  a point  on  our  route,  the  elevation  above  the 
sea  is  almost  half  a mile. 


472 


JOURNEYING  IN  THE  JUNGLE 


It  was  our  good  fortune  to  reach  Tapirapuhan  during 
the  interval  in  the  rainy  season  known  as  the  veranico  de 
Janeiro — the  January  summer.  During  this  period,  which 
lasts  a fortnight  or  more,  there  is  but  little  precipitation 
and  several  days  may  pass  without  a drop  of  rain.  Our 
arrival  at  this  juncture  augured  well  for  our  journey  in 
the  jungle.  For,  with  fair  weather,  our  expedition  over 
the  Plan  Alto  between  the  headwaters  of  the  Sepotuba  and 
those  of  the  Juruena  promised  little  or  no  difficulty.  We 
accordingly  looked  forward  all  aflame  with  anticipation 
and  most  eager  to  enter  upon  this  lap  of  our  journey  with 
the  minimum  of  delay.  And,  although  we  had  enjoyed  im- 
mensely every  hour  spent  on  the  Paraguay  and  its  af- 
fluents, we  promised  ourselves  even  greater  pleasure  dur- 
ing our  overland  expedition  through  the  wilds  of  Central 
Matto  Grosso. 

On  our  arrival  at  Tapirapuhan,  on  a bright  Saturday, 
January  the  sixteenth,  we  expected  to  be  able  to  move 
northwards  in  a day  or  two.  But  this  was  impossible. 
We  did  not,  however,  regret  the  delay.  For,  as  we  were 
all  constantly  engaged  in  congenial  occupations,  the  time 
passed  quickly  and  pleasantly.  Colonel  Roosevelt  and  I 
spent  most  of  our  time  in  reading  and  writing.  Our  natu- 
ralists were  busy  hunting  mammals  and  birds  and  prepar- 
ing them  for  shipment  to  the  Natural  History  Museum  of 
New  York,  while  the  other  members  of  the  expedition  had 
their  hands  full  in  getting  our  baggage,  provisions  and 
equipment  ready  for  our  long  journey  through  the 
wilderness. 

One  morning  during  our  enforced  delay  here,  I noticed 
a calf  with  an  ugly  bleeding  wound  on  the  shoulder.  From 
several  unpleasant  experiences  which  I had  had  with  blood- 
sucking bats  during  a previous  journey  in  South  America, 
I immediately  recognized  the  cause  of  the  wound.  But  one 
of  my  American  associates,  on  having  his  attention  called 
to  the  calf’s  gory  shoulder,  was  very  skeptical  about  the 

473 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


wound’s  being  due  to  a vampire  bat,  until  be  was  assured 
by  several  of  the  Brazilians  that  such  was  the  case.  He 
then  proceeded  at  once  to  take  a photograph  of  the  still 
bleeding  calf  in  order  to  be  able  to  convince  other  skeptics 
that  at  least  some  of  the  stories  told  of  South  American 
vampires  are  founded  on  fact.1 

The  task  of  getting  everything  in  readiness  and  under 
way  proved  to  be  much  greater  than  had  been  anticipated. 
When  Colonel  Boosevelt  and  I first  planned  our  trip  to 
the  interior  of  South  America,  we  intended  to  go  unac- 
companied until  we  should  reach  the  headwaters  of  the 
Tapajos,  where  we  purposed  to  secure  enough  native  pad- 
dlers  to  man  our  canoes  on  our  way  down  the  river.  But 
gradually,  as  has  been  stated,  the  membership  of  our  ex- 
pedition increased  until,  on  our  arrival  in  Tapirapuhan,  it 
numbered — counting  the  muleteers,  cooks  and  other  aids — 
approximately  forty,  while  our  saddle  and  pack-ani- 
mals totaled  nearly  two  hundred.  More  than  one-half 
of  our  pack-animals  were  oxen,  while  most  of  our  saddle- 
animals  were  mules.  We  took  but  few  horses  with  us,  as 
the  length  of  the  journey  and  the  inferior  pasturage  in 
many  places  had  been  found  to  be  beyond  their  endur- 
ance. 

We  had  to  take  with  us  not  only  our  tents,  baggage 
and  equipment,  but  all  the  provisions  that  would  be  re- 
quired during  our  entire  trip,  of  several  months’  duration, 
through  the  wilderness.  For  we  could  expect  nothing 

lNo  one  who  has  traveled  much  in  the  interior  of  South  America  has  es- 
caped the  attacks  of  the  blood-sucking  bats.  They  were  frequently  a great 
nuisance  to  the  early  explorers.  Cabeza  de  Vaca,  when  on  the  Upper  Paraguay, 
‘ ‘ was  bitten  by  one  of  these  animals  while  asleep  in  a brigantine,  one  of  his 
feet  being  uncovered.  All  night  the  blood  kept  on  flowing  till  he  awoke  from 
feeling  his  leg  cold,  and,  finding  the  bed  soaked  with  blood,  thought  somebody 
had  wounded  him ; but  those  on  board  searched  the  place  where  he  was  wounded, 
and  when  they  found  what  they  knew,  by  experience,  to  be  the  bite  of  a bat, 
they  laughed.  The  governor  found  that  a slice  of  his  toe  had  been  bitten  off.  ’ ’ 
“Relacion  de  los  Naufragios  y Commentaries  de  Alvar  Nunez  Cabeza  de  Vaca.” 
Tom.  I,  p.  288,  Madrid,  1906. 


474 


Starting  from  Tapirapuhan. 


The  Author  and  Colonel  Roosevelt  at  Utiarity. 


f*  ■ 


JOURNEYING  IN  THE  JUNGLE 


en  route  except  a little  chance  game,  and  even  this  might 
fail  us  when  most  needed. 

The  loading  of  the  oxen  proved  to  be  no  easy  matter. 
Many  of  them  were  half-wild  steers  and  had,  evidently, 
never  felt  a load  on  their  backs  before.  They,  therefore, 
kicked  and  bucked  and  ran  madly  hither  and  thither,  until 
they  had  relieved  themselves  from  their  unaccustomed  bur- 
den. This,  with  other  unforeseen  drawbacks,  caused  sev- 
eral days’  delay  in  starting.  On  Monday  we  were  told 
that  we  should  surely  be  off  the  following  day.  But  we 
were  doomed  to  disappointment.  Had  we  been  in  Bo- 
livia, I should  have  thought  that  we  were  retarded  by  the 
fatidic  Tuesday, 

Dia  martes 
Ni  te  cases 
Ni  te  embarques 
Ni  de  casa  apartes — 

on  which,  accoiding  to  a popular  saying,  one  should  neither 
marry  nor  set  out  on  a journey,  nor  leave  one’s  home.  But 
being  in  Tapirapuhan,  we  held  the  buck-jumping  bullocks 
responsible  for  our  protracted  delay. 

It  was  after  luncheon,  Wednesday,  January  the  twenty- 
first,  when  our  motley  cavalcade  was  finally  under  way. 
The  weather  was  delightful  and  all  our  party  were  in  high 
spirits.  Colonel  Roosevelt  rode  a large  and  powerful  mule 
which  had  cost  one  and  a half  contos,  nearly  five  hundred 
dollars,  while  I also  had  a similar  hybrid  mount  which 
had  been  specially  selected  for  me.  It  was  then  that  I first 
fully  appreciated  the  thoughtful  kindness  of  a good  friend 
in  Buenos  Aires  who,  just  before  we  started  up  the  Para- 
guay, had  presented  me  with  the  best  type  of  American 
stock-saddle,  which  proved  to  be  as  comfortable  as  a 
rocking-chair.  He  could  not  have  chosen  anything  that 
would  have  contributed  more  to  my  comfort  during  our 
long  ride  through  the  jungle. 

475 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


Our  course  during  the  first  day  of  our  overland  journey 
was  almost  directly  northwards.  We  followed  a rough, 
but  almost  level,  cart-road,  which  passed  through  a lightly 
timbered  country  in  which  we  saw  quite  a number  of  graz- 
ing cattle.  Most  of  them  were  sleek  and  fat  and  seemed 
to  have  an  abundance  of  good  pasturage.  The  aspect  of 
this  region  was  not  unlike  that  of  certain  parts  of  Mon- 
tana or  of  the  Panhandle  of  Texas.  We  had  been  pre- 
ceded by  a cart  or  two  which  carried  a part  of  our  impedi- 
menta, among  which  was  one  of  our  canoes.  The  provi- 
sions and  tools,  destined  for  use  on  the  Duvida,  had  gone 
ahead  to  their  destination  two  days  previously  by  a shorter 
road  than  the  one  we  had  selected.  This  part  of  our  expedi- 
tion was  under  the  direction  of  Captain  Amilcar  de  Magal- 
haes,  who  was  not  only  an  officer  and  a gentleman  of  the 
noblest  type,  but  also  an  explorer  of  proved  courage  and 
ability.  The  Brazilian  government  could  not  have  selected 
a better  man  to  accompany  us  or  one  who  was  more  com- 
petent and  sympatico.  We  only  regretted  that  he  had 
to  separate  from  us  just  as  his  admirable  qualities  of  heart 
and  mind  had  made  him  a general  favorite. 

Shortly  before  sunset  we  arrived  at  El  Salto — an 
aldeisinlia  of  a few  rude  huts  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Sepo- 
tuba.  This  little  hamlet  takes  its  name  from  the  rapids  of 
the  river  nearby,  and  is  inhabited  chiefly  by  employees 
of  the  Telegraphic  Commission.  As  I crossed  the  river 
at  this  point,  I could  in  fancy  see  the  brave  Portuguese 
explorer,  Joao  de  Souza  Azevedo,  and  his  resolute  com- 
panions in  their  rough  canoes  struggling  up  the  turbulent 
Sepotuba  on  their  way  to  the  Amazon  by  way  of  the  Soumi- 
douro  and  the  Tapajos.  This  was  nearly  two  centuries 
ago,  but  the  region  which  they  then  traversed  in  their 
memorable  expedition  has  witnessed  but  few  changes  and 
is  still  the  same  forest  primeval  which  it  was  when  Azavedo 
and  his  gallant  band  first  lifted  the  veil  of  mystery  which 
had  so  long  enveloped  it. 


476 


JOURNEYING  IN  THE  JUNGLE 


Our  second  day’s  journey  was  through  a dense  forest 
composed  of  trees  and  shrubs  of  all  sizes  and  of  innu- 
merable species.  The  branches  of  the  larger  trees  inter- 
laced overhead  in  such  wise  that  at  times  we  seemed  to 
be  passing  through  a dimly  lighted  vegetable  tunnel.  Most 
of  the  smaller  plants  and  shrubs  which  packed  the  spaces 
between  the  forest  giants  belonged  to  the  vast  order  of 
the  Leguminosce  which  constitutes  the  real  basis  of  tropical 
vegetation.  Everywhere  there  was  an  infinitude  of  lianas, 
the  spectabilis,  the  procera,  the  excelsa,  the  gigantea,  and 
countless  others  of  equal  interest  and  attraction.  Some 
of  these  strange  climbing  and  twining  plants  were  as  slen- 
der as  fishing-lines;  others  were  thick  Brobdingnagian 
ropes,  which  were  capable  of  holding  a superdreadnaught 
at  anchor  in  the  heaviest  sea.  Some  of  them  encircled  the 
trunks  of  the  trees  like  vegetable  boas ; others  leaped  from 
branch  to  branch  and  formed  a network  of  rarest  beauty ; 
others  still,  dropping  from  the  summits  of  the  loftiest  trees 
like  the  standing-rigging  of  a huge  ship,  took  root  in  the 
soil  and,  later  on,  rose  to  the  dignity  of  trees  to  support, 
in  their  turn,  a world  of  parasites  and  aerophytes  and 
flowers  of  exceeding  delicacy  and  loveliness.  On  each  side 
of  the  road  were  clumps  of  graceful  bamboos  and  broad- 
leaved Heliconice  with  long,  flaming  red  spikes,  and  low 
bushes  bearing  red  and  yellow  and  purple  blossoms. 
These,  with  the  numberless  climbers,  formed  an  impene- 
trable mass  of  verdure  which  seemed  to  interdict  to  the 
profane  all  access  to  the  sanctuary  of  the  mysterious  genii 
of  the  forest. 

But  one  cannot  pass  under  a canopy  of  tropical  trees, 

“In  branching  beauty  and  in  living  green,” 

without  having  one’s  attention  attracted  to  the  fierce  and 
unintermittent  struggle  for  existence  which  is  everywhere 
so  overwhelming.  Nothing  that  we  are  familiar  with  in 

477 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


our  northern  forests  can  give  us  any  idea  of  the  relent- 
less and  unceasing  struggle  for  life  that  distinguishes  the 
vegetable  as  well  as  the  animal  world  of  the  great  selva 
of  Brazil.  Here  heat,  and  soil,  and  moisture,  and  exu- 
berance of  vegetation  all  combine  to  intensify  and  per- 
petuate the  struggle.  As  elsewhere,  all  plants  must  have 
light,  but  in  the  tropical  forest,  where  vegetation  is  so 
compact,  each  plant,  each  bush,  each  tree  is  forever  thrust- 
ing its  neighbor  aside  and  pushing  itself  towards  that  point 
in  the  overhanging  canopy  of  verdure  which  is  open  to 
the  vivifying  rays  of  the  sun.  Here,  of  a truth,  the  race  is 
to  the  swift  and  the  battle  to  the  strong. 

But  even  after  the  tree  has  outstripped  its  fellows  in 
its  race  for  light,  its  life  is  menaced  by  danger  from  some 
apparently  harmless  plant  to  which  it  has  given  aid  and 
hospitality.  Among  these  tree-killing  plants — matapalos, 
the  Spaniards  call  them — is  the  death-dealing  wild  fig. 
Botanists  call  it  ficus  dendroica,  but  the  Germans  more 
aptly  designate  it  as  Wurgerbaum — tree-strangler.  For 
it  as  effectually  strangles  the  tree  around  which  it  winds 
its  resistless  coils  as  did  the  two  serpents  throttle  Laocoon, 
the  Trojan  priest  of  Apollo.  The  work  of  the  matapalo 
is  completed  by  myriads  of  termites  which  prey  on  the  dead 
trunk  and,  in  a very  short  time,  leave  but  a little  brown 
humus  as  the  sole  remains  of  the  secular  monarch  of  the 
forest. 

We  spent  the  greater  part  of  the  day  in  traversing  this 
interesting  wood,  and  never  grew  tired  of  the  floral  won- 
ders that  were  ever  before  our  eyes.  We  saw,  however, 
but  little  of  faunal  life — only  a few  birds  and  no  mammals. 
I had  hoped  to  find  at  least  a few  monkeys,  but  in  this 
I was  disappointed.  Doctor  Cajazeira,  our  excellent  physi- 
cian, was  also  looking  for  them,  but,  not  seeing  any,  he 
declared  “their  absence  must  be  due  to  the  lack  of  fruits 
and  nuts  at  this  season  of  the  year.” 

After  our  exit  from  the  virgin  forest,  we  found  our- 

478 


Breaking  Camp. 


Five  O’Clock  Tea  in  the  Jungle. 


JOURNEYING  IN  THE  JUNGLE 


selves  in  an  open,  sandy  region  in  which  were  only  a few 
scattered  bushes  and  scrub  trees.  We  were  now  entering 
the  heart  of  the  sertdo — “a  country  without  a house  or 
trail,  where  trade  has  as  yet  introduced  no  vestige  of  com- 
fort; where  every  encounter  is  an  event;  where  the  traveler 
finds  his  way  by  means  of  the  compass,  lives  by  the  spoil 
of  his  rifle  or  the  contents  of  his  saddlebags,  and  sleeps 
with  his  saddle  for  a pillow.  The  boundaries  of  the  sertao 
change ; they  recede  with  the  passage  of  years.  They  must 
be  sought  far  inland  now;  and  the  majority  of  Brazilians 
know  no  more  of  this  country  than  the  peasants  of  Beauce 
or  Brie  know  of  the  mountains  or  the  waste  heath.  But 
the  engineers,  prospectors  and  pioneers,  who  graze  their 
lialf-domesticated  beasts  in  the  sertao,  are  fervently  at- 
tached to  the  free  life  which  they  lead  there.”  1 

It  was  rarely  that  we  saw  here  a tree  more  than  fifteen 
or  twenty  feet  high,  and  certain  areas  were  as  treeless  as 
the  desert  lands  of  New  Mexico  or  Arizona.  We  were 
within  the  confines  of  the  Campos  dos  Parecis  which  were 
traversed,  in  1772,  by  Joao  Leme  do  Prado  and  his  fellow- 
adventurers  when  exploring  the  country  between  Cuyaba 
and  Villa  Bella  in  quest  of  gold.  At  times  the  deep,  sandy 
roads  were  hard  on  our  mounts  and  made  rapid  progress 
impossible.  Fortunately,  however,  the  sky  was  overcast 
and  this,  with  a refreshing  breeze,  rendered  traveling  quite 
delightful.  But  during  our  first  day  in  this  arid  land  we 
did  not  find  a drop  of  water  for  a stretch  of  twenty  miles. 
This  was  a greater  drawback  to  our  animals  than  to  our- 
selves, for  we  were  always  able  to  carry  sufficient  water 
for  our  needs  in  our  canteens. 

The  effect  of  this  utter  lack  of  water  and  of  scant  vege- 
tation was  shown  in  the  numerous  skeletons  of  oxen  and 
mules  which  littered  both  sides  of  the  road.  Besides  these 
bleached  skeletons,  we  saw  also  a number  of  boxes  scattered 

‘“Brazil,”  p.  89,  by  Pierre  Denis.  London,  1911. 

479 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


here  and  there,  hearing  the  inscription  “Roosevelt  South 
American  Expedition.”  These  were  some  of  our  provision 
stores  which  certain  of  our  refractory  steers  had  left  there 
a day  or  two  before.  What  became  of  this  food  which  we 
had  so  carefully  selected  in  New  York,  and  which  we  had 
looked  after  so  solicitously  for  thousands  of  miles,  it  would 
be  interesting  to  know.  It  was  impossible  for  anyone  to 
collect  it  and  add  it  to  our  other  stores  which  had  been 
sent  ahead,  and  impossible  for  our  pack  animals  to  carry 
it,  for  their  burdens  were  already  as  great  as  they  could 
bear. 

We  were  now  supposed  to  be  at  the  height  of  the  rainy 
season  and  in  a land  infested  by  mosquitoes.  But  there 
were  neither  mosquitoes  nor  rain.  More  than  this,  the 
nights  were  so  cool  that  it  was  necessary  to  sleep  under  a 
blanket.  All  this  greatly  surprised  the  American  mem- 
bers of  our  party  who  had  anticipated  clouds  of  noxious 
insects,  incessant  downpours  and  intolerably  hot  weather, 
both  by  day  and  by  night.  Colonel  Roosevelt,  commenting 
on  this  unexpected  condition  of  things,  remarked,  “It  is 
perfectly  astounding.” 

The  second  day  after  entering  the  sertao,  we  reached 
the  great  divide  which  separates  the  waters  of  the  Ama- 
zon from  those  of  the  Paraguay.  We  had  left  behind  us 
the  romantic  region  of  La  Plata  and  were  now  on  the 
threshold  of  famed  Amazonia.  A gathering  storm  but 
added  to  the  impressiveness  of  the  sertao  on  this  crest  of 
the  continent.  Although  the  elevation  above  sea  level  at 
this  point  was,  according  to  my  aneroid,  a tine  compensated 
instrument,  less  than  twenty-five  hundred  feet,  we  seemed 
to  be  at  a much  greater  altitude.  For  some  unaccountable 
reason,  the  impression  produced  on  one  at  the  time  was 
like  that  which  I had  experienced  years  before  on  the  roof 
of  the  world  in  the  elevated  plateau  of  northern  Bolivia. 
Although  the  surface  of  the  earth  was  slightly  undulated, 
it  had  the  appearance  of  being  so  absolutely  level,  with  a 

480 


JOURNEYING  IN  THE  JUNGLE 


horizon  at  an  infinite  distance,  that  one  felt  almost  justi- 
fied in  denying  the  earth’s  sphericity.  And  the  undulations 
of  the  earth’s  surface  seemed  like  tidal  waves  on  the  ocean, 
which  had  suddenly  been  arrested  in  their  course  and  con- 
verted into  solid  rock  by  a fiat  of  Omnipotence. 

The  sensation  of  immeasurable  distance  here  produced 
by  the  limitless  sertao  was  overpowering.  There  was  little 
of  beauty  in  the  landscape.  Tall  tufts  of  green  grass, 
scattered  clumps  of  stunted  trees,  reddish  dunes,  which 
our  geologist,  Dr.  Oliveira,  declared  were  derived  from 
disintegrated  Triassic  rocks  which  long  ages  ago  bordered 
the  northern  shores  of  the  great  Pampean  Sea — these  were 
the  chief  objects  visible  in  this  vast  wilderness.  An  occa- 
sional Pampa  deer  might  be  seen  scampering  across  the 
half-desert  plain,  the  note  of  a solitary  bird  was  heard  now 
and  then,  but  otherwise  all  was  silence  and  solitude.  Not 
a human  being  was  in  sight,  except  the  members  of  our 
expedition,  and  nowhere,  outside  of  our  bridle-path,  was 
there  the  slightest  evidence  that  intelligent  beings  had  ever 
visited  this  lonely  region.  It  was  not  difficult,  therefore, 
for  us  to  imagine  that  we  were  the  first  civilized  men  to 
tread  this  arid  waste  and  to  feel  that  we  were  actually  ex- 
ploring an  unknown  land. 

But  nothing  would  have  been  farther  from  the  truth. 
The  boundless  territory  which  we  were  then  traversing 
cannot,  it  is  true,  point  to  a storied  past  like  that  of  the 
world-historic  Plata  or  Peru,  but  it  has,  nevertheless,  been 
the  scene  of  many  heroic  deeds,  and  of  stirring  adventures 
and  countless  dreadful  tragedies  over  which  history  would 
fain  draw  the  veil  of  oblivion. 

To  what  extent  the  vast  sertao,  which  extends  from  the 
Tocantins  to  the  Madeira,  was  explored  by  the  mission- 
aries of  colonial  times,  it  is  now  difficult  to  determine.  But 
there  is  reason  to  believe  that  their  activities  in  this  part 
of  South  America  were  in  keeping  with  their  enterprise 
and  Christian  zeal  in  all  other  parts  of  the  continent.  We 

481 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


have  seen  liow  the  Tapajos,  the  Jauru  and  the  Mamore 
were  explored  at  an  early  date  by  both  Spaniards  and  Por- 
tuguese. The  Jesuits  had  missions  on  the  Arinos  as  early 
as  1668,  while  nearly  two  centuries  before  our  modern  ex- 
plorers had  ventured  into  the  wilderness  drained  by  the 
Tocantins  the  sons  of  Loyola  had  opened  up  communica- 
tion between  the  Paraguay  and  Para  by  wTay  of  the 
Itiquira,  a tributary  of  the  Sao  Lourenco,  and  the  Paredao, 
an  affluent  of  the  Araguaya.  And  two  hundred  years  before 
Prince  Adalbert  of  Prussia,  with  the  youthful  Otto  Bis- 
marck, afterward  so  famous  as  “The  Iron  Chancellor,” 
explored  the  lower  regions  of  the  Xingu,  and  two  and  a 
half  centuries  before  Karl  von  den  Steinen  made  his  memo- 
rable descent  of  this  treacherous  river,  Padre  Eoque  Hun- 
derpfundt  and  other  missionaries  had  evangelized  the  In- 
dians dwelling  on  its  picturesque  banks. 

And  so  it  was  with  the  Madeira  and  its  tributaries. 
When,  in  1742,  the  Portuguese,  Manuel  Felix  de  Lima, 
made  his  celebrated  voyage  to  Para  by  way  of  the  Guapore, 
the  Mamore  and  the  Madeira,  he  found  a whole  line  of 
missions  and  churches  along  these  rivers  in  charge  not 
only  of  Spanish,  but  also  of  German,  Italian,  Hungarian 
and  Irish  priests.1  The  same  may  also  be  said  of  the 
Javary,  the  Jurua  and  other  tributaries  of  the  Amazon. 
Everywhere  there  was  the  most  extraordinary  missionary 
activity;  Franciscans,  Capuchins,  Jesuits  and  Carmelites 
were  vying  with  one  another  in  making  known  the  Gospel 
of  truth  and  love  to  the  benighted  children  of  the  forest 
and  bringing  them  within  the  pale  of  civilization.  The 
missionaries  who  had  their  headquarters  at  San  Antonio, 
on  the  Madeira,  made  periodic  journeys  up  to  the  head- 
waters of  the  Rio  Jamary,  and  there  is  every  reason  to 
believe  that  they  made  similar  trips  up  the  Gy-Parana,  the 
Jaci-Parana  and  other  affluents  of  the  Madeira. 

All  this  seems  remarkable,  but  it  is  fully  warranted  by 

'See  Southey’s  “History  of  Brazil,’’  Tom.  Ill,  Chap.  XXXVII. 

482 


JOURNEYING  IN  THE  JUNGLE 


the  missionary  annals  of  colonial  times.  Indeed,  one  can 
assert,  without  fear  of  error,  that  there  is  not,  in  the 
whole  of  South  America,  a single  river  navigable  by  canoe 
or  any  considerable  stretch  of  land  between  rivers,  which 
has  not  at  some  period  or  other  witnessed  the  beneficent 
and  self-sacrificing  labors  of  the  Conquistadores  of  the 
Cross.  Southey,  in  writing  of  the  achievements  of  the 
early  missionaries,  declares  that  “A  chain  of  missions 
had  now  been  established  in  all  parts  of  this  great  con- 
tinent. Those  of  the  Spaniards  from  Quito  met  those  of 
the  Portuguese  from  Para.  The  missions  on  the  Orinoco 
communicated  with  those  of  the  Negro  and  the  Orellana. 
The  intercourse  between  the  Moxo  and  Madeira  settle- 
ments was  prevented  by  political  considerations,  not  by 
distance  or  any  natural  impediments.  The  Moxo  Missions 
communicated  with  the  Cliiquito,  the  Chiquito  with  the 
Beductions  in  Paraguay,  and  from  Paraguay  the  indefat- 
igable Jesuits  sent  their  laborers  into  the  Chaco,  and 
among  the  tribes  who  possessed  the  wide  plains  to  the  west 
and  south  of  Buenos  Aires.  Had  they  not  been  interrupted 
in  their  exemplary  career  by  measures  equally  impolitic 
and  iniquitous,  it  is  possible  that  ere  this  they  might  have 
completed  the  conversion  and  civilization  of  all  the  native 
tribes ; and  probable  that  they  would  have  saved  the  Span- 
ish colonies  from  the  immediate  horrors  and  barbarizing 
consequences  of  a civil  war.”1 

Not  only,  therefore,  was  the  region  which  we  were  then 
traversing  well-known  to  the  missionaries  of  long  ago, 
but  it  was  also  thoroughly  familiar  to  the  sertanistas,  those 
intrepid  explorers  and  gold-seekers  of  Brazil’s  far  west — 
those  restless  Paulistas  whom  Humboldt  aptly  designated 
as  flibustiers  de  Vinterieur .2  Then  there  were  also  the 
garimpeiros,  or  diamond  hunters,  and,  above  all,  there 

‘“History  of  Brazil,”  Vol.  Ill,  p.  372.  London,  1819. 

‘Referring  to  these  proto-explorers  of  Matto  Grosso,  Fonseca  declares 
A ’ elles  deve  a provincia  o descubriraento  de  todos  os  seus  sertoes,  suas  mon- 
tanhas  e rios.  Op.  cit.,  Tom.  I,  p.  42. 

483 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


were  countless  bandeirantes — those  terrible  companies  of 
adventurers  who  scoured  the  whole  of  Matto  Grosso,  not 
only  in  quest  of  gold  and  diamond  mines  but  also  in  search 
of  Indians  whom  they  sold  as  slaves.  Neither  the  arid 
desert,  without  resources,  nor  the  difficulties  of  navigat- 
ing unknown  rivers,  nor  dark  and  dismal  forests  inhab- 
ited by  hostile  savages,  deterred  them  from  their  haz- 
ardous undertakings.  So  great  was  their  thirst  for  gold, 
so  insatiable  their  cupidity,  that  these  reckless  adventur- 
ers abandoned  homes  and  wives  and  children  and  buried 
themselves  in  the  forbidding  wilderness,  as  if  it  were  a 
paradise  or  a land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey.  They 
suffered  disasters  without  number.  Many  lost  their  lives 
in  treacherous  rapids;  others  died  from  disease  and  star- 
vation or  the  covert  attacks  of  the  savages  of  the  forest. 
Frequently  the  corpses  of  these  ill-fated  men  were  found 
scattered  along  the  banks  of  the  river,  or  lying  in  their 
hammocks,  where  they  had  breathed  their  last — the  vic- 
tims of  inanition  or  some  dread  tropical  malady. 

But  this  did  not  prevent  others  from  following  in  their 
footsteps.  The  lust  of  gold,  whether  obtained  through  the 
discovery  of  mines  or  traffic  in  Indian  slaves,  lured  them 
to  the  remotest  parts  of  the  vast  territory  between  the 
Tocantins  and  the  Madeira  and  incited  them  to  explore 
all  its  rivers  and  serras  and  deserts.  As  early  as  1732, 
bandeirantes  from  Cuyaba,  in  search  of  gold,  penetrated 
the  sertoes  of  the  Parecis  Indians.  Forty  years  subse- 
quently the  captain-general,  Luiz  de  Albuquerque,  with  a 
view  of  increasing  the  prosperity  of  Matto  Grosso,  sent 
out  explorers  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Galera,  Camarare 
and  Jamary,  on  the  great  Parecis  plateau,  in  order  to  dis- 
cover the  famous  lost  gold  mines  of  Urucumacuan,  of 
which  tradition  related  such  marvels,  but  all  his  efforts 
were  fruitless  and  these  rich  auriferous  deposits  still  re- 
main hidden  in  the  wilderness.1 

1 Cf.  Fonseca  in  ‘ ‘ Viagem  ao  Kedor  do  Brazil.  ’ ’ Tom.  II,  p.  80  et  seq. 

484 


JOURNEYING  IN  THE  JUNGLE 


The  sphere  of  activity  of  the  bandeir antes  who,  in 
Matto  Grosso  as  well  as  in  other  parts  of  Brazil,  trafficked 
in  Indian  slaves  seems  incredible.  The  leaders  of  these 
ruthless  men  of  death  were  the  Mamelukes  of  Sao  Paulo, 
who,  according  to  Fernandes,  were  composed  not  only  of 
Paulistas,  but  also  of  the  offscourings  of  all  nations — 
la  hez  de  todas  naciones.  Among  them  were  not  only  Por- 
tuguese, but  also  Italians,  Dutch  and  Spaniards,  who,  be- 
sides being  refugees  from  justice,  recognized  no  law,  either 
human  or  divine.  They  extended  their  brutal  raids  not 
only  to  the  missions  of  the  Moxos  and  Chiquitos  in  Upper 
Peru,  but  they  also  carried  them  on  through  the  length 
and  the  breadth  of  Matto  Grosso,  enslaving  and  murder- 
ing the  hapless  Indians  wherever  they  found  them.  These 
atrocities  continued  without  interruption  for  a hundred  and 
thirty  years.  During  this  period  these  barbarous  Mame- 
lukes reduced  to  slavery  no  fewer  than  two  million  na- 
tives, depopulated  Spanish  cities  and  laid  waste  the  lands 
of  the  Indians  from  Sao  Paulo  to  the  Maranon — a distance 
of  more  than  a thousand  leagues.1 

The  atrocities  of  these  soulless  monsters  were  unpar- 
alleled. For  here,  as  in  other  parts  of  Brazil,  “with 
sword,  firearms  and  bloodhounds,  the  Indians,  their  women, 
and  notably  their  children,  were  hunted  down  like  wild 
beasts.  The  better  to  train  the  bloodhounds  for  their  work 
when  hunting  for  the  Mucurys,  they  were  fed  on  Indians 
assassinated  for  the  purpose.”2 

It  is  sad  to  relate  that  Matto  Grosso  has,  even  within 
recent  years,  been  the  scene  of  similar  atrocities.  The 
very  name,  Aldea  Queimada — burnt  village — of  the  place 

1 ‘ ‘ Libres  de  toda  ley  . . . han  proseguido  por  espaeio  de  ciento  treinta 
afios  en  sus  infames  latrocinios,  que  fuera  de  dos  millones  de  almas  que  se 
sabe  han  destruido  o redueido  a miserable  eselavitud,  han  hecho  despoplar  al- 
gunas  ciudades  de  espanoles  y mas  de  mil  leguas  en  tierra  hacia  el  Maranon.  ’ ’ 
“Belacion  Historial  de  las  Misiones  de  Indios  Chiquitos,”  p.  74.  Madrid,  1895. 

2Cf.  “Aborigines  of  South  America,”  p.  73,  by  Col.  G.  E.  Church,  London, 
1912.  See  also  “Bevista  do  Instituto  Historico  e Geographico  Brasileiro,  ” 
Tom.  XXI,  p.  193,  in  which  occurs  this  blood-curdling  statement: 

485 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


we  stopped  at  the  night  before  crossing  the  divide  be- 
tween the  Paraguayan  and  Amazonian  basins,  is  a melan- 
choly reminder  that  such  fiendish  outrages — and  these,  too, 
at  the  hands  of  one  who  bears  the  name  of  a distinguished 
Brazilian  family — are  still  possible.1 

Our  information  respecting  the  routes  followed  and  the 
rivers  navigated  by  the  missionaries  and  bandeirantes  is, 
unfortunately,  much  more  limited  than  we  could  desire. 
The  gold  and  slave  hunters  did  not  have  chroniclers  of 
their  expeditions  like  Padre  Carvajal,  who  has  given  us 
such  a graphic  account  of  Orellana’s  exploration  of  the 
Amazon,  or  like  Padre  Juan  de  Castellano,  who  has  fur- 
nished us  with  so  vivid  pictures  of  the  expedition  of  Gon- 
salo  Ximenes  de  Quesada  in  quest  of  El  Dorado,  or  like 
Bachiller  Francisco  Vasquez,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for 
the  illuminating  “Relacion  de  Todo  lo  que  Sucedio  en  la 
Jornada  de  Omagua  y Dorado  Hecha  por  el  Gobernador  de 
Orsua,”  which  tells  us  of  that  most  tragic  of  expeditions 
under  the  leadership  of  the  tyrant,  Lope  de  Aguirre. 

In  the  case  of  the  gold  and  the  slave  hunters,  this  ab- 

“Os  trafieantes  davao  caza  aos  indigenes  como  a animaes  ferozes.  Diz-se 
mesmo,  que  para  adestrar  os  caens  nesta  Canada,  dava-se-lhes  a comer  came 
dos  selvagens  assassinados,  e que  foi  em  represalia  destes  horrorosos  attenta- 
dos,  que  os  selvagens  se  derao  a anthropophagia,  devorando  as  vietimas  que 
cahiao  nas  maos.  ” Is  it  any  wonder  that  these  infuriated  Indians  should,  in 
retaliation  of  such  frightful  acts  of  savagery,  have  devoured  their  enemies 
whenever  captured? 

1 According  to  the  English  explorer,  Major  P.  H.  Fawcett,  like  deeds  of 
savagery  have  characterized,  even  in  our  own  day,  the  rubber  gatherers  in 
eastern  Boliva.  “The  Madidi  and  its  tributaries,”  he  writes,  “harbour  only 
five  small  tribes  of  not  a dozen  souls  in  each,  a terrible  indictment  against 
the  rubber  industry,  chiefly  responsible  for  their  disappearance.  For  these 
people  were  once  very  numerous;  Padre  Armentia,  the  late  Bishop  of  La  Paz, 
himself  remembering  a population  of  some  fifty  thousand  between  Ixiamas 
and  Covendo,  whilst  every  altura  or  piece  of  land  above  the  inundation-level 
in  the  Beni  province  and  Majos  is  thick  with  ancient  and  broken  pottery.  ’ ’ 
Bolivian  Exploration,  1913-1914,  in  the  Geographical  Journal,  London,  March, 
1915. 

The  reader  will  recall  the  horror  of  the  civilized  world  when  informed, 
less  than  a decade  ago,  of  the  frightful  cruelties  inflicted  by  rubber  collectors 
on  the  helpless  Indians  of  the  Putumayo  region. 

486 


JOURNEYING  IN  THE  JUNGLE 


sence  of  information  respecting  tlieir  expeditions  is  easily 
explained.  The  men  composing  them  were,  almost  with- 
out exception,  rude  and  ignorant  adventurers  who  had  not 
the  ability,  and  presumably  not  the  desire,  to  pen  narra- 
tives of  their  raids  and  adventures.  In  this  respect  they 
were  quite  unlike  that  large  number  of  Conquistadores  of 
whom  it  could  truthfully  be  said:  “The  lance  had  not 

blunted  the  pen.” 

Numa  mSo  a penna  e n’outra  a lanca. 

A striking  instance  of  this  ability  to  handle  pen  and  lance 
equally  well  is  seen  in  Cieza  de  Leon,  whose  “Chronicon 
del  Peru”  is  not  only  one  of  the  most  precious  records 
of  the  conquest,  but  also  one  of  the  most  instructive  travel- 
books  ever  written  on  the  land  of  the  Incas. 

With  the  missionaries,  however,  the  case  is  different. 
There  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  they  were  as  careful 
to  keep  records  of  their  labors  in  the  part  of  Matto  Grosso 
with  which  we  are  now  occupied  as  were  their  associates 
in  other  parts  of  the  continent.  But  when  we  remember 
the  vandalic  destruction  of  books  and  manuscripts  at  the 
time  of  the  suppression  of  the  Jesuits  and  recall  how  the 
tyrant  Lopez  cut  up  the  books  in  the  public  library  of 
Asuncion  to  make  rocket  and  squib  cases,  we  can  readily 
understand  why  there  should  still  be  great  lacunce  in  the 
history  of  missionary  exploration  in  certain  parts  of  South 
America.  Count  Castelnau  also  tells  of  another  cause 
of  destruction  of  precious  documents.  Wishing,  while  in 
Villa  Bella,  to  consult  the  records  bearing  on  the  explora- 
tion and  evangelization  of  Matto  Grosso,  which,  he  was 
informed,  were  still  preserved  in  the  archives  of  the  old 
palace  of  the  captain-general,  he  found,  to  his  dismay,  that 
rats  and  termites  had  completely  destroyed  them.1 

1 Que  ne  fut  mon  chagrin  de  voir  que  les  rats  et  les  termites  avaient  en- 
tierement  detruit  tous  les  papiers  et  que  ces  dossiers  tombaient  en  poussiere  des 

487 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


But,  notwithstanding  the  loss  of  so  many  precious  docu- 
ments, the  serious  researches  which  are  now  being  con- 
ducted by  the  historical  and  geographical  societies  of  Spain 
and  of  various  South  American  republics,  and  the  revela- 
tions that  have  recently  been  made  by  the  discoveiy  and 
publication  of  such  works  as  “Viajes  de  Fray  Francisco 
Menendes”  and  “Relacions  Geograficas  de  Indias,”  pub- 
lished by  the  Ministerio  de  Fomento,  of  Peru,  may  eventu- 
ally bring  to  light  other  documents  of  equal  importance  in 
their  bearing  on  the  early  exploration  of  Matto  Grosso  and 
adjoining  regions.  And  then — who  knows? — it  may  be 
demonstrated,  as  in  so  many  other  cases  connected  with 
South  American  history  and  geography,  that  the  whole 
of  the  Brazilian  wilderness  traversed  by  our  expedition 
was  fully  described  by  missionaries  of  colonial  times  and 
that  its  serras  1 and  rivers — including  the  Duvida — were 
“put  on  the  map”  nearly  two  centuries  ago.  Equally  sur- 
prising disclosures  have  been  made  during  recent  years 
regarding  other  parts  of  the  continent,  and,  until  the 
archives  of  Europe  and  America  have  been  thoroughly  ex- 
amined, he  would  be  a rash  man  who  would  affirm  that 
Matto  Grosso  has  been  the  only  extended  region  of  South 
America  which  the  missionaries,  who  went  everywhere, 
failed  to  map  and  describe. 

The  night  after  crossing  the  divide  we  camped  on  the 
bank  of  the  Rio  Perdiz — a distant  tributary  of  the  Tapajos 
— near  the  pear-shaped  pool  which  constitutes  its  fountain- 


qu’  on  y touchait.  J ’y  trouvai  plusieurs  fragments  de  travaux  geographiques 
mais  qui,  pour  la  plupart,  ne  pouvaient  plus  etre  d ’aucune  utilite.  ’ ’ Op.  cit. 
Tom.  Ill,  p.  67.  Fonseca,  op.  cit.,  Tom.,  I,  p.  43,  says  of  the  numerous  and 
precious  works  of  the  Bahian  botanist,  Dr.  Alexandre  Bodrigues,  called  the 
Humboldt  of  Brazil,  that  they  were  completely  dispersed,  and  many  of  them, 
perhaps,  lost — com  pi  et  ament  e dispersos,  e muitos,  talvez,  perdidos. 

1 The  word  serra  in  Brazil,  like  montaha,  in  Spanish  America,  signifies  forest 
rather  than  mountain.  Incautious  cartographers,  misunderstanding  the  mean- 
ing of  these  words  as  used  in  South  America,  have  frequently  placed  on  their 
maps  mountain  ranges  where  only  forested  lowlands  are  found. 

488 


JOURNEYING  IN  THE  JUNGLE 


head.  Here,  for  the  first  time  since  we  left  Tapirapuhan, 
we  found  ourselves  without  shelter  until  the  arrival  of  our 
pack-train,  which  we  had  left  far  in  the  rear.  As  the  rain- 
storm, which  had  broken  upon  us  early  in  the  afternoon, 
had  not  yet  entirely  subsided,  we  had  to  stand  in  the  steady 
downpour  in  the  open  plain  until  the  arrival  of  our  tents. 
It  was  then  that  I fully  appreciated  the  waterproof  poncho 
which  I had  gotten  the  day  before  I had  left  Buenos  Aires. 
Next  to  my  saddle,  my  poncho  gave  me  more  satisfaction 
and  comfort  than  any  other  article  of  my  equipment. 

It  was  quite  late  when  our  pack-animals  arrived,  and 
later  still  before  we  could  get  anything  to  eat.  To  start 
a fire  with  wet  wood  and  cook  for  our  large  party  was  not 
an  easy  matter.  But,  although  we  had  not  had  a bite  to 
eat  for  fifteen  hours,  everyone  was  in  good  humor  and  pa- 
tiently waited  until  our  frugal  meal  was  served  on  the 
bullock  hides  which  were  spread  on  the  damp  ground. 
When,  however,  it  ceased  raining,  the  sky  cleared  and  the 
stars  shone  with  that  brilliancy  so  peculiar  to  the  tropics 
after  a heavy  rain.  This  was  a great  relief  to  our  drenched 
and  famished  party,  and  when  all  took  their  places  about 
the  primitive  table  the  spirit  of  camaraderie,  which  had  al- 
ways been  quite  remarkable,  seemed  to  be  stronger  than 
ever.  As  all  of  our  party  were  either  world-travelers,  ex- 
plorers or  men  of  science,  they  had  very  many  interests 
in  common.  Subjects  of  discourse,  therefore,  in  which  all 
were  interested  were  never  lacking.  This  particular  night, 
however,  the  conversation  turned  on  travel  and  adventure 
—the  Brazilians  telling  of  their  hair-breadth  escape  from 
savages  and  starvation  in  the  wilderness  of  Matto  Grosso, 
the  Americans  recounting  their  experiences  in  equatorial 
Africa  or  in  the  polar  north.  Barely,  during  our  entire 
journey,  did  the  hours  pass  more  rapidly  or  pleasantly 
than  during  this  memorable  night,  and,  had  it  not  been 
for  the  thought  that  we  had  to  spend  the  following  day 
in  the  saddle,  I think  many  would  have  been  disposed  to 

489 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


continue  their  exchange  of  reminiscences  until  the  small 
hours  of  the  morning. 

The  following  evening  we  camped  at  the  source  of  the 
Rio  Mandioca,  whose  waters,  like  those  of  the  Perdiz, 
eventually  find  their  way  to  the  Amazon  by  way  of  the 
Juruena  and  the  Tapajos.  Shortly  after  our  arrival  there, 
we  were  joined  by  our  three  auto-vans,  which  had  come  by 
a different  route  from  the  one  which  we  had  followed. 
Learning  that  they  would  reach  the  aldeia  on  the  Rio 
Sacre,  for  which  we  were  bound,  two  or  three  days  sooner 
than  was  possible  by  our  slow-going  mules,  and  wishing 
to  spend  as  much  time  as  possible  among  the  Indians  at 
that  point  and  at  Utiarity,  I decided  to  make  this  part  of 
our  journey — about  a hundred  miles — by  these  motor- 
trucks. Cherrie  and  Miller,  desiring  to  have  more  leisure 
for  making  collections  than  it  was  possible  to  obtain  while 
traveling  by  mule,  no  sooner  heard  of  my  purpose  than 
they  decided  to  join  me.  Sigg,  also,  formed  part  of  this 
advance  contingent. 

Our  course  the  two  succeeding  days  was  through  a 
cliapada — a scrub-covered  plain — which  differed  but  little 
from  that  which  we  had  already  traversed.  Our  chief 
chauffeur  was  a clever  and  entertaining  young  French- 
man, who  had  served  his  time  as  a mechanician  in  the 
French  navy.  Thanks  to  his  skill  and  intelligence  in  the 
management  of  our  machines,  we  succeeded,  in  spite  of 
many  ugly  stretches  of  road,  in  covering  as  much  ground 
in  two  hours  as  our  saddle-animals  were  able  to  traverse 
in  a whole  day. 

Our  three  motor-cars  were  made  in  Paris  by  a Swiss 
manufacturer  by  the  name  of  Sauer.  They  were  strong 
and  serviceable  machines,  and,  although  each  carried  two 
Ions  of  freight,  they  frequently  made  a speed  of  twenty- 
five  miles  an  hour.  Sigg  was  delighted  to  find  cars  in 
this  part  of  the  world  manufactured  by  one  of  his  coun- 
trymen, but  was  surprised  that  none  of  them  was  of  Amer- 

490 


JOURNEYING  IN  THE  JUNGLE 


ican  make.  Turning  to  one  of  our  Brazilian  associates,  he 
inquired,  “Why  don’t  you  use  here  some  of  our  American 
cars?”  “For  the  simple  reason,”  came  the  reply,  “that 
we  do  not  know  anything  about  them.  Americans  seem 
to  be  slow  about  introducing  their  motor-cars  into  our 
country.  In  this  respect  they  are  quite  unlike  the  Ger- 
mans, who  have  their  agents  everywhere.  It  is  for  this 
reason  that  you  find  German  automobiles  and  German 
goods  of  all  kinds  wherever  you  go.” 

We  saw  little  of  interest  during  our  two  days’  motor 
trip  through  the  cliapada.  Birds  and  mammals  were  re- 
markablv  few  in  number.  We  saw  an  occasional  deer,  a 
number  of  curassows,  and  a few  interesting  cursorial  birds 
which  sought  cover  as  soon  as  we  came  near  them.  During 
our  entire  journey  in  the  wilderness  I came  across  but 
two  snakes,  and  these  were  small  and  mon-venomous.  And 
never  once  did  any  one  of  our  party  have  occasion  to  use 
the  anti-venom  serums  with  which  Dr.  Vital  Brazil  had  so 
generously  provided  us  on  the  occasion  of  our  visit  to  the 
Instituto  Serumtlierapico,  at  Sao  Paulo,  of  which  he  is  the 
distinguished  director.  The  fact  is  that  one  who  is  well 
shod  runs  but  little  risk  from  venomous  serpents  in  the 
tropics.  It  is  the  barefooted  native  who  is  the  usual 
victim. 

A plant  frequently  seen  along  the  road,  and  one  which 
was  a sweet  reminder  of  home,  was  a lovely  species  of 
morning-glory.  Its  colorization  was  wonderfully  vivid  and 
harmonized  perfectly  with  that  of  the  emerald  foliage 
of  countless  acaulescent  palms  which  were  in  striking  con- 
trast with  the  vigorless-looking  scrubs  by  which  they  were 
surrounded. 

But  the  masters  of  this  region,  as  of  so  many  other 
parts  of  tropical  America,  are  ants  and  termites.  They 
abound  everywhere  and  the  extent  of  their  depredations 
is  at  times  almost  beyond  belief.  They  destroy  houses 
and  furniture,  and  instances  are  recorded  of  whole  vil- 

491 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


lages  being  laid  waste  by  their  pernicious  operations. 
Like  ants,  termites  live  in  communities  each  of  which  is 
called  a termarium.  These  termaria,  are  constructed  of 
earth  and  are  of  all  sizes  and  forms.  Many  of  those  we 
saw  were  higher  than  a tall  man  and  often  had  the  appear- 
ance of  large  landmarks  or  milestones.  Some  of  them  had 
a castellated  structure  and  were  furnished  with  turrets  and 
battlements.  Usually  they  stand  alone,  but  now  and  then 
they  are  built  against  stumps  or  trees.  At  times  they  are 
widely  separated  from  one  another,  but  frequently  one  may 
count  many  score  of  them  in  a single  acre.  Besides  those 
that  build  their  homes  on  the  ground,  there  are  others  which 
construct  their  habitations  on  the  trunks  and  branches  of 
trees.  These,  like  those  on  the  ground,  are  made  of  earth 
and  are  as  hard  and  durable  as  if  built  of  adobe.  The 
forms  of  these  aerial  termaria  are  quite  as  various  and 
remarkable  as  those  on  the  earth’s  surface.  Not  infre- 
quently they  resemble  quadrupeds  clasping  the  tree  trunk 
or  crouching  on  a branch.  More  than  once,  when  gazing 
at  these  singular  objects  at  a distance,  I had  to  use  my 
field-glass  to  assure  myself  that  I was  not  looking  at  a 
sloth  or  similar  arboreal  animal.  The  termaria  built  on 
trees  are  connected  with  the  ground  by  covered  passages 
which  are  likewise  fashioned  out  of  earth. 

The  natives  declare  that  the  termites  work  continu- 
ously, day  and  night.  To  test  this  statement  I removed 
a part  of  one  of  these  passage-ways  just  at  nightfall.  The 
following  morning — and  before  sunrise — the  breach  wras 
completely  repaired  and,  considering  the  extent  of  the  part 
removed,  the  industrious  termites  must  have  labored  all 
night  to  replace  it.  As  all  these  insects  but  the  kings  and 
queens  are  blind,  day  and  night  are  the  same  to  them.  But 
whether  they  do  actually  work  without  intermission,  I was 
not  able  to  verify  to  my  satisfaction.  It  would  be  inter- 
esting to  know  how  much  truth  there  is  in  the  prevailing 
opinion  of  the  natives  regarding  the  matter. 

492 


JOURNEYING  IN  THE  JUNGLE 


The  second  night  after  leaving  onr  companions  at  Man- 
dioca,  we  camped  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Rio  Sacre.  Here 
we  left  onr  motor-cars,  because  the  condition  of  the  ground 
made  it  impossible  for  them  to  go  further. 

Early  the  following  morning,  after  we  had  taken  our 
coffee,  we  saw  a number  of  men  coming  towards  us  from 
the  tolderia — group  of  palm-thatched  huts — on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  river.  They  proved  to  be  the  cacique  of 
Utiarity,  accompanied  by  the  employees  of  the  Telegraphic 
Commission,  who  had  come  to  transport  our  baggage  to 
his  tolderia,  which  was  some  leagues  distant,  where  we 
were  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  other  members  of  the 
expedition  whom  we  had  left  behind. 

On  reaching  the  aldeia  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Sacre  we 
found  quite  a number  of  Indians  who,  like  ourselves,  were 
on  their  way  to  Utiarity.  But  an  unexpected  surprise  for 
us,  on  crossing  the  river,  was  the  magnificent  waterfall 
which  is  but  a few  rods  from  the  village.  We  had  heard 
much  of  it  en  route,  but  we  never  dreamed  of  finding  such 
an  imposing  sight  as  Salto  Bello— Beautiful  Fall — proved 
to  be  in  reality. 

It  was  indeed  a beautiful  waterfall  from  whatever  point 
we  viewed  it.  According  to  the  measurements  of  our  ac- 
complished engineer,  Lieutenant  Lyra,  Salto  Bello  is  one 
hundred  and  twenty-nine  feet  high  and  three  hundred  and 
seventy-eight  wide.  In  its  perfect  regularity,  exquisite  set- 
ting, the  deep  gorge,  carved  out  of  bright  brown  and  red 
sandstone,  into  which  it  plunges,  the  wealth  of  vegetation 
above  and  below  it,  it  is  scarcely  inferior  to  the  lower  fall 
of  the  Yellowstone — the  most  superb  cataract,  to  my  think- 
ing, of  which  our  country  can  boast. 

After  partaking,  near  the  falls,  of  a delicious  luncheon, 
made  up  chiefly  of  the  famous  Brazilian  dish,  canja — which 
is  composed  of  boiled  rice  and  chicken — we  started  on 
horseback  for  Utiarity,  which  is  both  a supply  station  of 
the  Telegraphic  Commission  and  an  Indian  village.  On  our 

493 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


arrival  at  this  place,  early  in  the  afternoon,  we  were  cor- 
dially received  by  all  the  inhabitants,  both  whites  and  In- 
dians. After  the  usual  exchange  of  courtesies,  we  were 
escorted  to  the  chief  building  of  the  Telegraphic  Commis- 
sion, where  we  were  made  to  feel  quite  at  home  during 
our  sojourn  in  this  remote  part  of  the  Brazilian  hinterland. 

Utiarity  is,  in  reality,  composed  of  two  sections — that 
occupied  by  the  employees  of  the  Telegraphic  Commission 
and  that  reserved  for  the  Indians.  At  this  place  we  again, 
for  the  first  time  in  nearly  a month,  got  in  touch  with  the 
outside  world  by  means  of  the  telegraph.  The  line  which, 
when  completed,  is  to  connect  Cuyaba  with  the  western 
frontier  of  the  Republic,  passes  through  Utiarity.  The 
operator  is  a young  Brazilian  who,  with  his  wife,  seems  to 
be  quite  contented  with  his  lot  so  far  away  from  civiliza- 
tion. When  not  engaged  in  office  work,  he  spends  his  time 
in  teaching  three  or  four  bright  Indian  boys  to  read  and 
write  Portuguese.  His  wife  had  a class  of  six  intelligent 
Indian  girls  whom  she  instructed  in  Portuguese  and  nee- 
dlework. Both  boys  and  girls  seemed  very  eager  to  learn 
and  were  very  much  attached  to  their  teachers,  who,  on 
their  part,  exhibited  a deep  interest  in  their  pupils. 

One  of  the  first  places  we  visited,  after  our  arrival  in 
Utiarity,  was  the  great  waterfall  of  the  Papagaio  River, 
which  is  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  We  were  agreeably 
surprised  to  find  two  such  large  rivers  as  the  Sacre  and 
the  Papagaio  so  near  together,  as  we  had  seen  nothing  but 
small  streams  since  leaving  the  Sepotuba,  but  we  were 
much  more  surprised  to  find  two  such  great  cataracts 
within  only  a few  miles  of  each  other. 

The  falls  of  Utiarity  are  named  after  the  sacred  falcon 
of  the  Parecis  Indians  who  inhabit  these  parts.  Although 
they  do  not  possess  the  width  and  the  regularity  of  outline 
of  Salto  Bello,  they  are  twice  as  high  and  far  more  im- 
posing. According  to  Lieutenant  Lyra’s  measurements, 
Utiarity  Falls  are  two  hundred  and  sixty  feet  high — a hun- 

494 


JOURNEYING  IN  THE  JUNGLE 


dred  feet  higher  than  Niagara — and  two  hundred  and 
ninety-two  feet  wide.  They  bear  some  resemblance  to 
the  lower  Shoshone  Falls.  But,  although  not  so  wide  as 
the  great  falls  of  the  Snake  River,  they  are  fully  seventy 
feet  higher.  Besides  this,  their  setting  is  incomparably 
more  beautiful.  Bordering  and  beneath  the  Shoshone 
Falls,  there  is  little  but  austere  and  boldly  modeled  basalt. 
But  everywhere  about  the  Falls  of  the  Sacred  Falcon  the 
banks,  up  to  the  water’s  edge,  are  clothed  with  plants  and 
trees  which  are  ever  green  and  whose  trembling,  spray- 
covered  foliage  glitters  under  the  tropical  sun  like  brooches 
of  diamonds  and  emeralds. 

A short  distance  above  the  falls  the  moving  mass  of 
water  is  like  lambent  crystal.  But  when  it  approaches 
within  a few  hundred  feet  of  the  precipice,  from  which 
it  leaps  into  the  abyss,  it  is  broken  into  rapids  like  those 
above  the  falls  of  Niagara.  The  cliff,  however,  over  which 
the  water  plunges,  unlike  that  of  Niagara,  is,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a projecting  shelf  on  the  left  bank,  almost  a 
straight  line.  On  the  right  bank  there  are  two  or  three 
narrow  cascades  which  are  separated  from  the  main  fall 
by  lovely  wooded  islets.  These,  as  well  as  the  cataract 
from  the  projecting  ledge  on  the  left  bank,  give  the  falls 
of  Utiarity  a beauty  and  a majesty  that  are  unsurpassed. 

I never  tired  of  contemplating  this  wonderful  scene. 
When  I first  visited  it,  there  had  been  no  rain  for  several 
days.  It  was  near  the  hour  of  sunset  and  the  vast  cur- 
rent, rushing  forward  with  irresistible  power  and  velocity, 
had  the  delicate  tint  of  purest  aquamarine.  But  it  was 
after  a heavy  and  long-continued  rainstorm  that,  under 
the  rays  of  the  morning  sun,  the  falls  were  seen  at  their 
best.  The  volume  of  water  was  then  greatly  augmented 
and  the  turbulence  and  splendor  of  its  irresistible  mass  were 
proportionately  intensified.  In  the  rapids  above  the  falls 
the  giant  element  dashed  with  delirious  bound  against 
rocks  and  islets  and  covered  the  shrubs  and  trees  along 

495 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


its  course  with  glittering  foam  and  spray.  From  the  abyss 
below  came  the  roar  of  incessant,  slightly  modulated  thun- 
der which  kept  rock  and  earth  in  continuous  vibration.  In 
the  shattered  crystal  masses  of  the  deep  and  narrow  gorge 
which  hemmed  in  the  river  below  the  cataract;  in  the  lin- 
gering eddies,  in  the  translucent  rush  near  the  banks,  in 
the  shimmering  spray,  in  the  wreaths  of  ascending  mist, 
there  was  a play  of  color,  from  light  chrysoprase  to  deep 
amethyst,  that  was  a continual  delight  to  the  eye  and  a 
stimulus  to  the  imagination.  Surmounting  the  flashing 
mass  of  foam  in  the  abysmal  depths,  and  giving  life  and 
color  to  the  opalescent  vapor  that  ever  ascended  heaven- 
ward from  the  seething  torrent  below,  was  an  exquisite 
iris,  alternately  fading  and  flushing  in  the  surging  clouds 
and  the  shivered  sunbeams.  It  was  indeed  a gorgeous  spec- 
tacle and,  accompanied  by  the  deep,  resonant  diapason  of 
the  rushing  waters,  its  effect  on  the  mind  was  like  that  of 
a tumultuous  lyric  or  a Wagnerian  symphony. 

It  always  required  an  effort  for  me  to  tear  myself  away 
from  this  magnificent  exhibition  of  Nature’s  power  and 
beauty.  But  there  was  something  in  Utiarity  that  appealed 
to  me  more  strongly  than  the  operation  of  natural  forces, 
however  impressive  or  grandiose.  This  was  the  Indians, 
especially  the  Indian  children.  It  had  been  my  privilege 
and  pleasure  to  study  copper-colored  denizens  of  the  for- 
est and  the  plains  from  Alaska  to  Patagonia,  and  the  more 
I saw  of  them,  the  stronger  grew  my  interest  in  them. 
When  occasion  offered,  I always  made  it  a point  to  visit 
them  in  their  wigwams  and  toldos,  and  I always  found 
them  sympathetic  and  appreciative  of  any  kindness  shown 
them.  The  Parecis  Indians,  who  formerly  were  much  more 
numerous  than  now,  were  no  exceptions  in  this  respect. 
They  were  kind,  gentle  and  always  gave  me  a cordial  wel- 
come to  their  humble  homes,  always  placed  the  best  ham- 
mock at  my  disposition  and  were  ever  ready  to  share 
with  me  their  frugal  fare. 


496 


A Parecis  Woman  as  Burden- 
bearer. 


Parecis  Musicians. 


A Game  of  Headball. 


JOURNEYING  IN  THE  JUNGLE 


In  the  Indian  quarter  of  Utiarity  there  were  twelve 
palm-thatched  toldos,  but  all  of  them  were  large  enough 
to  accommodate  several  families.  At  the  time  of  our  visit, 
the  number  of  Indians  present  was  larger  than  usual. 
They  had  been  notified  in  advance  of  our  arrival,  and  has- 
tened to  this  point  to  see  the  strangers  and  to  receive 
the  presents  which  they  had  reason  to  believe  would  be 
waiting  for  them.  Nor  were  they  disappointed.  For  both 
Colonel  Rondon  and  I were  well  supplied  with  just  such 
things  as  we  knew  they  would  like.  He  had,  among  other 
things,  articles  of  clothing  for  the  men  and  women.  I had 
fishhooks  and  jackknives  for  the  boys,  and  thread,  needles 
and  colored  beads  for  the  girls.  They  were  all  delighted 
with  their  gifts,  and  young  and  old  fairly  danced  with  joy. 
But  the  presents  which  afforded  the  women  the  most  ex- 
quisite pleasure  were  certain  Parisian  perfumes,  of  which 
each  received  a bottle  and  which  they  prized  fully  as  much 
as  any  perfume-loving  dame  of  the  gay  French  capital. 

We  were  all  intensely  interested  in  a peculiar  game 
of  ball  played  by  the  Parecis  Indians.  So  far  as  I am 
aware,  it  is  played  by  no  other  tribe  in  South  America  or 
elsewhere.  The  ball  used  is  of  hollow  rubber  and  is  some- 
what smaller  than  our  football.  But  it  is  played  with 
the  head  and  not  with  the  foot.  There  are  usually  ten 
or  twelve  players  on  each  side,  but  no  fixed  number  is 
prescribed.  The  distance  to  which  a good  player  can  butt 
the  ball  is  surprising.  But  more  wonderful  still  is  the 
fact  that,  in  throwing  themselves  flat  on  the  ground,  as 
they  frequently  do  in  order  to  butt  the  ball,  the  players  do 
not  break  their  noses  or  utterly  disfigure  their  faces.  They 
never  seem  to  tire  of  the  game,  and  both  players  and  spec- 
tators, to  judge  by  their  shouts  and  applause,  seem  to  get 
as  much  pleasure  out  of  it  as  do  our  American  football 
and  baseball  enthusiasts  out  of  our  national  games  when 
played  by  professionals. 

The  chief  sustenance  of  these  Indians,  as  of  most  other 

497 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


tribes  in  tlie  tropics,  is  maize  and  manioc.  These  two  arti- 
cles of  food  are  produced  on  a plantation  a short  distance 
from  the  village.  Thither,  every  morning,  women  and 
girls,  with  baskets  on  their  backs,  may  be  seen  wending 
their  way  in  pursuit  of  the  day’s  subsistence.  This  planta- 
tion is  the  common  property  of  the  whole  village  and  there 
seems  always  to  be  an  abundance  for  everyone. 

I found  it  strange  that,  during  our  sojourn  in  Utiarity, 
there  was  not  a trace  of  game  or  fish  in  any  of  the  toldos, 
and  I visited  all  of  them  every  day,  and  some  of  them 
even  more  frequently.  Like  many  other  South  American 
tribes,  the  Parecis  seem  to  be  satisfied  with  maize  and 
manioc.  Often,  indeed,  they  live  on  manioc  alone,  as  cer- 
tain Oriental  peoples  subsist  on  rice.  When  one  considers 
the  care  required  in  the  preparation  of  the  bitter  manioc — 
manihot  utilissima — the  most  useful  variety — one  cannot 
but  subscribe  to  Humboldt’s  opinion  that  “a  people  that 
has  learnt  to  cultivate  manioc  has  taken  one  step  in  ad- 
vance towards  civilization.” 

I have  always  been  impressed  by  the  great  love  which 
the  Indian  mothers  have  for  their  children.  Never  have 
I seen  them  treat  their  little  ones  with  harshness,  and 
rarely  have  I seen  mother  and  child  separated  from  each 
other  for  any  length  of  time.  Where  one  is  found  there 
also  is  the  other. 

While  going  the  rounds  of  the  toldos  of  Utiarity,  I 
found  a mother  sitting  by  her  little  daughter  who  was 
confined  to  her  hammock  by  an  attack  of  fever.  I imme- 
diately called  Sigg  to  look  after  the  little  sufferer.  He 
prescribed  for  her  and  we  both  thenceforth  called  to  see 
her  several  times  a day.  I never  saw  more  grateful  crea- 
tures than  were  mother  and  child.  Nor  did  I ever  see  a 
more  devoted  or  more  solicitous  mother.  She  never  left 
the  side  of  the  little  patient’s  hammock,  except  when  im- 
peratively necessary.  Every  time  we  called  she  was  sit- 
ting at  the  same  spot  and  seemed  as  immovable  as  a statue. 

498 


JOURNEYING  IN  THE  JUNGLE 


As  the  medicine  began  to  have  its  effect,  and  the  child 
commenced  to  rally,  the  gratitude  of  both  mother  and 
daughter  was  as  touching  as  it  was  unaffected. 

The  Tupi  word  for  child  seems  to  express  perfectly 
the  intimate  relation  between  the  Indian  mother  and  her 
infant  offspring.  This  word  is  pitanga,  which  literally 
translated  means  soul-sucker.  It  is  so  named  because, 
from  the  Tupi  viewpoint,  the  child  absorbs  a part  of  the 
mother’s  very  soul. 

Sigg’s  success  with  his  first  patient  brought  him  many 
more.  He  was  saluted  by  everyone  as  “Doctor,”  and  he 
soon  had  all  kinds  of  cases  on  hand,  dental  and  surgical 
included. 

One  day,  as  I was  writing  in  my  room,  I heard  loud, 
agonizing  groans  in  the  adjoining  apartment.  Desiring  to 
learn  their  cause,  I found  Sigg  extracting  an  ulcerated 
tooth  from  the  jaw  of  one  of  our  muleteers.  But  it  was 
not  the  patient  who  was  groaning,  for  he  was  perfectly 
quiet.  It  was  the  village  cacique  who  was  watching  the 
operation.  It  may  be  remarked  that  the  only  appliance 
available  for  this  operation  was  a pair  of  ordinary  flat- 
nose  pliers.  But  so  skillfully  did  the  volunteer  dentist 
do  his  work  that  the  patient  experienced  immediate  relief 
and  a few  hours  afterwards  was  entirely  free  from  pain. 

Among  Sigg’s  other  patients  were  two  sufferers  from 
beri-beri.  One  of  them  was  apparently  a hopeless  case, 
but,  thanks  to  the  skill  and  unremitting  care  of  our  clever 
Swiss  factotum,  the  victim  of  one  of  the  most  terrible 
scourges  of  the  tropics  was  soon  on  the  way  to  recovery. 
But  not  only  as  physician  and  dentist  had  the  “Doctor” 
to  officiate;  he  must  play  surgeon  also  when  the  afflicted 
sought  his  aid.  He  had  several  surgical  cases,  among 
which  was  that  of  a child  who  had  had  a finger  badly 
crushed.  Gangrene  was  threatening  and  immediate  am- 
putation was  imperative.  The  operator  had  the  necessary 
articles  for  dressing  a wound,  but  the  only  instrument 

499 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


available  for  removing  the  contused  digit  was  a common 
penknife.  But  after  carefully  sterilizing  its  blade,  be  pro- 
ceeded with  the  operation,  and  so  successful  was  he  that 
the  wound  quickly  healed  by  first  intention.  It  was  well 
for  the  patients  in  question  that  Sigg  was  in  a region 
where  he  was  free  to  practice  without  a license.  But  even 
as  a surgeon  he  was,  according  to  Fonseca,1  incomparably 
better  equipped  than  were  the  military  surgeons  of  Matto 
Grosso  a few  generations  ago,  and  far  better  equipped,  too, 
than  ever  were  the  barber-surgeons  of  Europe  before  the 
epoch-making  discoveries  of  Pasteur  and  Lister.  For, 
thanks  to  these  illustrious  investigators,  Sigg  had  the 
means  of  preventing  putrefaction  and  septicaemia ; the  mili- 
tary and  barber-surgeons  in  question  had  not. 

It  was  with  sincere  regret  that  I left  Utiarity.  I en- 
joyed immensely  every  hour  spent  in  this  little  Indian 
village  so  far  away  from  the  artificial  wants  and  ills  of 
the  outer  world  and  so  completely  removed  from 

“The  fraudful  arts,  the  covert  strife 
The  jarring  interests  that  engross  mankind, 

The  low  pursuits,  the  selfish  aims  of  life.” 

I had  become  so  accustomed  to  the  kindly  greetings  and 
the  winsome  ways  of  my  little  Indian  friends  that  I would 
fain  have  spent  the  rest  of  my  days  with  these  children 
of  the  peaceful  solitude.  More  than  once  echoed  in  my 
ears  the  beautiful  words  of  the  poet: 

Me  dulcis  saturet  quies, 

Obscuro  positus  loco, 

Leni  perfruar  otio.2 


'Op.  cit.,  Tom.  II,  p.  112  et  seq. 

2 Let  me,  in  some  obscure  place 
Keep  myself  in  sweet  quiet, 
And  there  enjoy  leisure. 


500 


I 


The  Author  and  Some  op  His  Little  Utiarity  Falls. 

Parecis  Friends. 


JOURNEYING  IN  THE  JUNGLE 

It  was  in  Utiarity,  which  will  ever  remain  associated 
with  some  of  my  pleasantest  memories  of  the  wilderness, 
that  my  journeying  in  the  jungle  had  its  northern  terminus. 
My  original  intention  was  to  go  on  to  the  Amazon.  But 
during  this  expedition,  as  during  my  previous  travels  in 
South  America,  my  chief  interest  was  only  in  traversing 
those  regions  which  had,  in  the  long  ago,  felt  the  foot- 
steps of  the  Conquistadores.  The  heavily  forested  terri- 
tory between  Utiarity  and  the  Amazon  was  devoid  of  the 
glamour  which  the  achievements  of  these  remarkable  men 
had  cast  over  almost  every  part  of  the  continent,  and  the 
sentiment  which  had  impelled  me  to  visit  all  the  other 
lands  of  the  Southern  Cross  was  here  wanting.  I had 
before  navigated  the  Amazon  from  the  Andes  to  the  At- 
lantic and  felt  no  inclination  to  sail  on  its  waters  again. 
I was  also  familiar  with  many  of  its  tributaries,  and  there 
was,  therefore,  nothing  to  attract  me  along  the  affluents 
which  the  other  members  of  the  expedition  purposed  de- 
scending. There  were,  however,  reaches  of  the  lower 
Paraguay  and  Parana  wdiich  I had  not  seen,  and  these, 
on  account  of  their  association  with  Juan  de  Solis  and 
Sebastian  Cabot,  Pedro  de  Mendoza  and  Cabeza  de  Vaca, 
I did  not  wish  to  leave  unvisited.  As  for  my  American 
associates,  none  of  them  had  ever  beheld  the  wonders  of 
the  world’s  great  father  of  waters  and  they  were,  there- 
fore, all  eager  to  contemplate  the  glories  of  the  historic 
waterway  which  so  long  bore  the  name  of  its  illustrious 
discoverer,  Francisco  de  Orellana.  The  other  members  of 
the  expedition,  with  the  exception  of  my  Fidus  Achates — 
Sigg — left  Utiarity  the  day  before  I did — all  of  them  bound 
for  the  Amazon,  some  by  way  of  the  Madeira  and  the 
others  by  way  of  the  mysterious  Rio  da  Duvida.  Accom- 
panied by  Sigg,  who  was  always  ready  for  everything  and 
who  did  everything  well,  I returned  to  Tapirapuhan — most 
of  the  way  on  a slow-going  mule — where  our  little  launch, 
Anjo  d’  Adventura — Angel  of  Adventure — was  to  meet  us 

501 


THROUGH  SOUTH  AMERICA’S  SOUTHLAND 


and  take  us  to  Corumba.  Thence  we  proceeded,  by  the 
Paraguay  and  the  Parana,  through  the  fertile  plains  of 
La  Plata  to  Montevideo.  From  this  point  Sigg,  loyal  and 
devoted  to  the  last,  returned  to  Asuncion  to  cast  in  his 
lot  with  some  friends  of  the  struggling  Republic  of  Para- 
guay. Still  following  the  commanding  figures  of  the  con- 
quest, in  South  America’s  Southland,  I boarded  a steamer 
for  Cape  Verde  and  the  Canary  Islands — so  noted  in  the 
annals  of  South  American  discovery — whence  I sailed  to 
Spain,  a country  which  I had  frequently  visited  with  ever- 
increasing  interest — Spain,  the  home  of  romance  and  chiv- 
alry, of  saints  and  heroes,  of  explorers  and  discoverers; 
the  motherland  of  those  illustrious  men  in  wdiose  footsteps 
I had  been  treading  for  more  than  a third  of  a century,  of 
those  matchless  Conquistadores  whose  lives  were  so  full 
of  incident  and  action  and  who  lent 

“The  color  of  romance 
To  every  trivial  circumstance,” 

and  who  inscribed  their  names  on  history’s  scroll  in  such 
brilliant  and  enduring  characters  that  they  will  shine  with 
undiminished  luster  as  long  as  human  hearts  thrill  at  the 
recital  of  acts  of  knightly  prowess  or  the  world’s  laureates 
sing  of  glorious  deeds  of  high  emprise. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


LIST  OP  THE  MORE  IMPORTANT  WORKS  CITED  IN  THIS  VOLUME 

Amunategui,  M.  L.  Yida  de  Andres  Bello.  Santiago,  1882. 

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Santiago,  1879-80. 

Angelis,  Pedro  de  Coleccion  de  Obras  y Docuraentos  Relativos  a la 
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Barbosa,  Rodrigues  J.  Sertum  Palmarum  Brasiliensium.  Brus- 
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Palm*  Mattogrossenses.  Rio  de  Janeiro,  1898. 

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Barco  Centenera,  Martin  del  Argentina.  Lisbon,  1602. 

Barros,  Arana,  Diego  Historia  Jeneral  de  Chile.  Santiago,  1884- 
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Brabo,  F.  J.  Inventarios  de  los  Bienes  Hallados  a la  Expulsion  de 
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Burmeister,  H.  Description  Physique  de  la  Republique  Argentine. 
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Castelnau,  Francis  de  Expedition  dans  les  Parties  Centrales  de 
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Charlevoix,  P.  F.  X.  de  The  History  of  Paraguay.  London,  1769. 

Church,  G.  E.  Aborigines  of  South  America.  London,  1912. 

Cordemoy,  C.  de  Au  Chile.  Paris,  1899. 

Darwin,  Charles  Journal  of  Researches  into  the  Natural  History 
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Denis,  Pierre  Brazil.  London,  1911. 

Diaz  de  Guzman,  Rui  Historia  Argentina  del  Descubrimiento, 
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503 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


Dobrizhoffer,  Martin  An  Account  of  the  Abipones,  an  Equestrian 
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Espejo,  G.  El  Paso  de  los  Andes.  Buenos  Aires,  1882. 

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Ferrer  del  Rio,  Antonio  Historia  del  Reinado  de  Carlos  III  en 
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Fonseca,  Joao  Severiano  da  Viagem  ao  Redor  do  Brasil.  Rio  de 
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Frias,  Bernardo  Historia  del  General  de  Martin  Giiemes  y de  la 
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Gaffarel,  Paul  Histoire  du  Bresil  Francais  au  Seizieme  Siecle. 
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Garro,  J.  M.  Bosquejo  Historico  de  la  Universidad  de  Cordoba. 
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Gay,  Claudio  Historia  Fisica  y Politica  de  Chile.  Documentos. 
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Graham,  R.  B.  Cunninghame  A Vanished  Arcadia.  New  York, 
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Groussac,  Pablo  Memoria  Historica  y Descriptiva  de  la  Provincia 
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Guevara,  Jose  Ilistoria  del  Paraguay,  Rio  de  la  Plata  y Tucuman, 
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INDEX 


Aconcagua  Mountain,  263,  269,  286 
A Cruz,  newspaper,  440 
Acuna,  Padre  de,  96,  97 
Agriculture  in  Argentina,  179,  186, 
208,  210,  390 ; checks  to,  188-191 ; 
rapid  development  of,  187 
Agriculture  in  Brazil,  99-101,  106 
Agriculture  in  Chile,  German  devel- 
opment of,  333,  334 
Agriculture  in  Uruguay,  131 
Aguirre,  Lope  de,  487 
Albarracin,  Don  Jaime,  quoted,  247 
Albuquerque,  Luiz  de,  429,  455,  484 
Alerce  tree,  349 
Alligators,  423 
Almagro,  Diego  de,  276,  277 
Alonso,  Mateo,  266,  267 
Alpaca  wool-weaving,  204 
Alvares,  Diogo,  33 
Amazon  River,  exploration  of,  27, 

96,  460;  sources  of,  459 
Ameghino,  Dr.,  168,  383 
Amerigo  Vespucci,  31 
Amunategui,  M.  L.,  296 
Anahuac  Valley,  48 
Anchieta,  Jose  de,  83-85,  90,  91 
Andes  Mountains,  geology  of  the, 
269;  giant  trees  of  the,  349;  pas- 
sage of  the,  by  San  Martin,  262, 
263,  271-273;  plans  for  national 
park  in  the,  368;  railway  travel 
over  the,  270;  scenery  of  the, 
269,  285,  286,  340-351,  363,  364 
Angelis,  Pedro  de,  quoted,  360,  361 
Animals,  of  Argentina,  176,  177, 
376,  383;  of  the  Brazilian  for- 

509 


ests,  453;  protection  of,  near  Rio 
de  Janeiro,  74;  of  Uruguay,  130, 
131 

Ant-eater,  453 
Anzures,  Pero,  441 
Arana,  R.  Barros,  296,  362 
Araucanian  Indians,  202,  204;  be- 
lief of  in  after-life,  318,  319 ; 
effects  of  civilization  on,  327 ; in- 
dependence of,  325,  326;  oratory 
of,  328-330;  resistance  to  Span- 
ish invasion  of,  317-322,  324, 
325 ; use  of  alcohol  among,  327 ; 
women  of,  322-324 
Araucaria  brasiliensis  tree,  106,  113 
Arbitration,  success  of,  in  South 
America,  266,  268,  269,  288 
Argentina,  agriculture  in,  179,  186, 
208,  210,  390;  ancient  Indian 
civilization  in,  202-204;  animals 
of,  176,  383;  beef  production  in, 
185,  186;  cattle  ranching  in,  ISO- 
184  ; constitution  of,  236,  237 ; 
desert  land  in,  175,  224,  225,  376, 
378,  379;  droughts  in,  188,  383; 
education  in,  159,  160-164,  231- 
238;  fertile  regions  of,  386,  390; 
flowers  of,  155,  156 ; foreign  capi- 
tal in,  170;  fossils  in,  177,  178, 
383;  Gauchos  of,  175,  191,  196; 
immigrant  population  of,  153- 
155,  169,  170,  186;  locusts  in,  188, 
189;  mutton  production  in,  185, 
186;  naval  growth  of,  381;  old 
Spanish  families  of,  196,  197 ; 
Quichua  language  in,  202;  rail- 


INDEX 


roads  in,  186,  200,  385,  386 ; slieep 
raising  in,  182,  184;  social  condi- 
tions in,  189,  190,  196;  sugar  in- 
dustry in,  209;  Turks  in,  378; 
War  of  Independence  in,  152,  158, 
159,  212-214,  253;  wheat  exporta- 
tion in,  200,  201;  see  also  Pampa, 
Patagonia 

Argentine  boundary  difficulties,  266, 
268,  269 

Argentine  Mesopotamia,  386,  390 
Argentine  Pampa,  173-175 
Argentine  patriotism,  167,  168 
Arguello,  Sebastian  de,  353-355 
Armadillo,  176,  383,  453 
Armentia,  bishop,  486  (note) 
“Army  of  the  Andes,”  257-265, 
270 

Artigas,  Jose,  130 
Asuncion,  colonial  customs  in,  409; 
race  mixture  in,  409 ; schools  in, 
413;  vicissitudes  of,  410,  411 
Augustinians  in  Argentina,  220 
Avenida  Beira  Mar,  in  Rio  de  Jan- 
eiro, 58-60 

Avenida  de  las  Delicias,  in  San- 
tiago, 282 

Avenida  de  Mayo,  in  Buenos  Aires, 
151 

Avenida  Rio  Branco,  in  Rio  de  Jan- 
eiro, 54,  55 

Ayacucho,  Battle  of,  241,  273 
Ayolas,  Juan  de,  95,  149,  428;  ex- 
ploration of  Parana  River  by, 
389,  390 

Azevedo,  Joao  de  Souza,  460,  465, 
476 

Azevedo,  Dr.  Ramos  de,  86 
Aztec  Indians,  21 

Bahia,  churches  in,  34,  35;  city  im- 


provements in,  36;  commercial 
importance  of,  36,  37,  44,  45 ; 
early  settlement  of,  33,  34;  edu- 
cation in,  35,  36;  exports  of,  36; 
reception  in,  32,  33,  44 
Bahia  Blanca,  164;  commercial  im- 
portance of,  381 ; reception  in, 
382 

Barbados,  23,  24 

Bariloche,  entertainment  at,  366, 
367,  372,  373;  national  park  proj- 
ect at,  368 

Barnuevo,  Peralta,  295 
Barros,  Joao  de,  39 
Beef  industries,  in  southern  Brazil, 
118;  in  Uruguay,  134-136 
Beef  production  in  Argentina,  185, 
186 

Beef  waste  on  Pampa,  182 
Belgrano,  Manuel,  213,  214,  238, 
260,  273 ; monument  to,  in  Buenos 
Aires,  158;  monument  to,  in  Tu- 
cuman,  212 

Bello,  Andres,  287 ; arbitration  work 
of,  288;  university  work  of,  288, 
289 

Beltran,  Luis,  258-259,  270 
Benedictine  college  in  Sao  Paulo, 
90,  91 

Bethlehem  Steel  Corporation  in 
South  America,  303,  381 
Bethlehemites  in  Argentina,  220 
Bezoar  stone,  376 
Biobio  River  in  Chile,  317 
Birds  of  the  Brazilian  forest,  452, 
465,  466 

Blumenau,  city  of,  108,  122 
Blumenau,  Dr.  Hermann,  108 
Bogota,  3;  university  of,  67 
Bolas  weapon,  377 
Bolivar,  rubber  production  in, 
abuses  of,  486  (note) 


510 


INDEX 


Bolivar,  Simon,  213,  273,  287 ; pas- 
sage of  the  Andes  by,  272 
Bonpland,  Aime,  391,  392 
Bororos  Indians,  432 
Bosco,  Giovanni,  429 ; missionary 
plans  of,  430,  437 
Botanical  gardens,  of  Buenos  Aires, 
155;  of  Montevideo,  139,  140;  of 
Rio  de  Janeiro,  69,  70 
Boundary  difficulties  in  South 
America,  arbitration  of,  266,  268, 
269 

Boyaca,  Battle  of,  272,  273 
Bravard,  M.,  247 

Brazil,  agriculture  in,  99,  100,  101, 
106,  107 ; changes  of  government 
in,  72,  73;  coffee  production  in, 
99,  100;  confusion  of  names  in, 
455;  desert  lands  of,  479-481, 
490;  diamond  production  in,  36, 
education  in,  35,  67-69,  90-92, 
455-457 ; foreign  capital  in,  65, 
66;  forests  of,  74,  106,  107,  464- 
471,  477,  478;  forests  of,  animal 
life  of,  452,  453,  465,  466 ; immi- 
grant population  of,  92,  93,  107- 
109;  Jesuit  mission  in,  83-85; 
origin  of  name  of,  37-39;  palm 
trees  of,  464-471;  Portuguese  ex- 
ploration of,  95-98 ; production  of 
mate  in,  111-115 ; race  mixture 
in,  39-43,  85,  95,  98;  racial  differ- 
ences in  northern  and  southern, 
108;  railroads  in,  66,  101,  104, 
105,  122,  125;  river  scenery  of, 
448-451,  464-470;  rivers  of,  ex- 
ploration of,  27,  96,  459,  460, 
482;  rubber  production  in,  101; 
slavery  in,  97,  108,  395,  484-486 
Brazil,  Dr.  Vidal,  87,  88 
Brazil  Railway  Company,  66,  104, 
105 


Brazilian  hospitality,  32,  33,  44,  45, 
53,  54,  81,  105,  125,  126 
Brazilian  literature,  69,  84 
Brazilian  Telegraphic  Commission, 
472,  476,  493,  494 
Brebeuf,  Jean  de,  440 
Buccaneers  in  South  America,  21, 
240,  299 

Buenos  Aires,  architecture  of,  151, 
156-158,  165,  166;  Botanical  Gar- 
dens of,  155;  charitable  work  in, 
160-164 ; churches  in,  151,  152, 
157,  158;  commercial  importance 
of,  147-149,  164-166;  contraband 
trade  of,  in  colonial  times,  241; 
docks  of,  147,  164;  education  in, 
159,  160-164;  electricity  in,  165; 
foreign  capital  in,  170;  harbor 
of,  147 ; hospitals  in,  160-164 ; 
narrow  streets  of,  150,  151,  157 ; 
population  of,  153-155,  169,  170; 
reception  in,  148,  149,  170-172; 
sanitation  in,  164,  165;  street-car 
system  of,  165 
Burmeister,  Herman,  226 
Butterflies  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  75 

Cabot,  Sebastian,  149,  388,  501 ; 
exploration  of  Parana  River  by, 
389 

Cabral,  Pedro  Alvares,  38,  39 
Cajazeira,  Dr.,  478 
Calbuco,  volcano,  340,  343 
Calchaque  Indians,  202-204,  229 
Callado,  Francisco  da  Rocha,  Gen- 
eral, 116 

Calle  Florida,  in  Buenos  Aires,  151 
Campos  dos  Parecis,  479 
Capuchins  in  Brazil,  482 
Capybara,  445,  453 
Carbajal,  96,  97,  486 


INDEX 


Carbrera,  Geronino  Luis  de,  226, 
229 

Carib  fish,  417,  418 
Carib  Indians,  19 
Caiibees,  19-21 
Carioca,  56 
Carioca  aqueduct,  76 
Carioca  tradition,  76,  77 
Carmelites  in  Brazil,  482 
Casa  Dorada,  in  Buenos  Aires,  151 
Casa  Rosada,  in  Buenos  Aires,  151 
Casanova,  Mariano,  Archbishop, 290, 
294 

Castellanos,  Juan  de,  295,  486 
Castelnau,  Francis  de,  quoted,  459 
Castilio,  Pedro,  246 
Castro,  6 

Cathedral  of  Buenos  Aires,  151,  152 
Catholic  clergy  and  South  American 
independence,  218-223,  236,  237, 
258 

Catholic  university  in  Santiago,  290, 
293 

Catholicism,  in  Argentina,  158,  160, 
231,  232,  266,  267,  393 ; in  Brazil, 
83-85,  90,  91,  432,  433,  455-457, 
482;  in  Chile,  287,  290-294,  315, 
327,  338,  339;  in  Ecuador,  432; 
in  Paraguay,  394-400,  402,  429, 
434;  in  Patagonia,  369,  370,  372, 
431,  432;  in  Tierra  del  Fuego, 
431,  432;  in  Uruguay,  138,  139, 
144,  145 

Cattle  ranching,  in  Argentina,  183, 
184;  in  Brazil,  110;  in  Uruguay, 
131-136 

Caupolican,  Chief,  317,  322;  statue 
of,  in  Santiago,  284 
Caymans,  423 
Cebu,  453 

Centera,  Barco,  295 

Central  Argentine  Railway,  200 


Central  Uruguay  Railway,  126 
Cereals,  exportation  of,  in  Argen- 
tina, 200,  201;  production  of,  in 
Argentina,  187;  production  of,  in 
Brazil,  106 ; production  of,  in 
Uruguay,  131 
Cesar,  Moreira,  56 
Chacabuco,  Battle  of,  272,  273 
Chacama  Indians,  393 
Chanar,  shrub,  175 
Chapada  of  Brazil,  490,  491 
Chapman,  Frank,  8,  9 
Charlevoix,  P.  F.  X.  de,  quoted,  396 
Charrua  Indians,  130,  388 
Chauvinism  in  Argentina,  168 
Chaves,  Nuflo  de,  95,  441,  442,  453 
Cherrie,  George  K.,  8,  9,  10,  428 
Chicago  Beef  Trust  in  Uruguay,  136 
Chigoes,  443 

Chile,  boundary  difficulties  of,  266, 
268,  269,  314;  charitable  work  in, 
297,  338,  339;  desert  lands  of, 
275-277 ; education  in,  287-291, 
293-295,  338;  encomienda  system 
in,  307-311;  fertile  lands  of,  306, 
333 ; forest  resources  of,  349 ; 
French  nuns  in,  338;  German  set- 
tlement in,  326,  331-337,  341,  342; 
Indian  population  of,  326;  In- 
dian wars  in,  317-322,  324,  325; 
lumber  industry  in,  334;  military 
spirit  in,  312-314;  military  vica- 
riate in,  315;  mineral  wealth  of, 
275,  303;  mountain  scenery  of, 
285,  286,  340-346,  363;  native 
labor  in,  292,  306-310,  331;  naval 
defense  of,  312;  newspapers  in, 
294,  295;  nitrate  fields  of,  331; 
potato  culture  in,  307 ; railway 
development  in,  300;  shape  and 
size  of,  275;  social  conditions  in, 
292,  293,  298,  308-311;  Spanish 

2 


51 


INDEX 


feudalism  in,  308-311;  University 
of,  67,  287-289 ; wine  industry  in, 
306,  307 

Chilean  hospitality,  305,  336-339 
Chilean  literature,  295,  319-324,  329, 
330 

Chilean  patriotism,  315,  316,  329, 
330 

Chiquito  Indians,  396,  485 
Christ  of  the  Andes,  statue,  265-268 
Churches,  in  Bahia,  34,  35 ; in 
Buenos  Aires,  151,  152,  157,  158; 
in  Cordoba,  230;  in  Rio  de  Jan- 
eiro, 66,  67 ; in  Santiago,  291 
City  improvement  in  South  Amer- 
ica, 36,  61-65,  94,  95,  150,  151, 
157,  164-166,  231 
Cocoa  exportation  from  Brazil,  36 
Coelho,  Gongalo,  49 
Coffee  exportation  from  Brazil,  36, 
99,  100 

Coimbra,  University  of,  69 
Colombia,  Salesian  fathers  in,  434 
Colombia-Peru  controversy,  arbitra- 
tion of,  288 

Colonization.  See  Immigrant  popu- 
lation 

Columbus,  Christopher,  21 
Commerce  in  South  America,  28, 
29,  36,  37,  45,  46,  52,  53,  164,  170, 
301-304,  381,  382;  early  Spanish 
monopoly  of,  238;  effect  of  Pan- 
ama Canal  on,  303,  304 ; old 
Spanish  route  for,  239,  240 
Commercial  monopoly  in  colonial 
times,  241,  242 

Concepcion,  Chile,  earthquakes  in, 
316,  317 ; foundation  of,  316 
Concepcion,  Paraguay,  418 
Conquistadores,  in  the  Andes,  347 ; 
in  Argentina,  226-229;  in  Chile, 
275-278,  308-311;  on  the  Para- 

5 


guay  River,  428,  441-445 ; in 
search  of  the  Enchanted  City, 
355-357;  in  South  America,  2,  3, 
21,  22,  361,  362,  370,  501;  in 
South  America,  incentives  of,  228 
Convent  schools,  in  Cordoba,  231, 
232;  in  Santiago,  290,  291 
Corcovado  Mountain,  48,  70;  ascent 
of,  74-76 

Cordilleras  Mountains,  2 ; passage 
of  San  Martin’s  army  over,  262, 
264,  270 

Cordoba,  173,  174;  agricultural  de- 
velopment of,  225,  227 ; banquet 
to  our  party  in,  245 ; churches  in, 
230;  colonial  architecture  of,  230; 
commerce  of,  under  Spanish  rule, 
240;  education  in,  231-235;  foun- 
dation of,  226,  229 ; people  of, 
230;  water  supply  of,  231;  Uni- 
versity of,  67,  232;  University  of, 
foundation  of,  233 , University  of, 
mathematics  and  physics  in,  235 
Coroado  Indians,  432 
Cortes,  Hernando,  21 
Corumba,  charitable  work  in,  429, 
434,  435;  education  in,  429,  434, 
435 ; welcome  at,  428 
Cotton  production  in  Brazil,  101 
Cousiho,  Isadora,  282 
Cousiho,  Luis,  282 
Cousiho  Park  in  Santiago,  282 
Criollo  cattle,  132,  184 
Crown  of  Thoms,  Argentine  theory 
of,  168 

Cruz,  Dr.  Oswaldo,  62,  63 
Cuenca  Vidal  Reservoir,  in  Argen- 
tina, 379,  380 
Curibocos,  40 
Curityba,  108,  122 
Cuyaba  River,  439,  440 
Cuzco  language  in  Argentina,  202 

3 


INDEX 


Dames  de  Sion  School,  91 
Dairy  industries  in  Uruguay,  136, 
137 

Dayde,  Ambrosio,  440 

Dea  Palmaris,  shrine  of,  466 

“Dead  Inca,”  48 

Dedo  de  Deus  Mountain,  50 

Deer,  marsh,  453 

Democracy,  lack  of  time,  in  South 
America,  298 
Descalvado,  village,  453 
Deserts,  of  Argentina,  175,  224,  225, 
376,  378,  379;  of  Brazil,  479-481, 
490;  of  Chile,  275-277 
Diamonds  of  Brazil,  36,  37 
Dias,  A.  Gonsalves,  470 
Dictatorship  in  South  America,  410- 
413 

Dique  San  Roque  Reservoir,  in  Cor- 
doba, 231 

Dobrizhoffer,  Martin,  quoted,  180, 
426,  427 

Dominica  Island,  22 
Dominicans,  in  Argentina,  218,  220, 
266;  in  Brazil,  97;  missionary 
work  of,  394 
D’Orbigny,  Alcide,  396 
Drake,  Sir  Francis,  21,  299 
Dredging  in  Buenos  Aires  Harbor, 
147 

Droughts  in  Argentina,  188 
Duprat,  Monsignor,  153 
Duvida  River,  420 

Earthquakes,  building  materials  re- 
sistant to,  248;  in  Concepcion, 
Chile,  316;  in  Mendoza,  246-248; 
in  Santiago,  280;  in  Valparaiso, 
299 

Ecclesiastical  seminary,  in  Concep- 

5 


cion,  Chile,  293 ; in  Santiago,  291, 
293 

Ecuador,  Salesian  fathers  in,  432 
Ecuador-United  States  controversy, 
arbitration  of,  288 
Education,  in  Argentina,  159,  160- 
164,  231-238,  249;  in  Brazil,  35, 
36,  67-69,  90-92,  455-457;  in 
Chile,  287-291,  293-295,  338;  in 
Paraguay,  413,  429,  434,  435;  in 
Uruguay,  138 

Edward  VII  of  England,  arbitra- 
tion of  South  American  boun- 
daries by,  266 
El  Dorado,  362,  390 
El  Gran  Moxo,  446-448 
El  Mercurio,  newspaper,  294 
Emus,  376,  377 

Enchanted  City  of  the  Ctesars,  353- 
359,  390,  447 

Encomienda  system  in  Chile,  307- 
311 

English,  in  Buenos  Aires,  170;  in 
Valparaiso,  300,  301 
English  invasion  of  Argentina,  158, 
159 

“Enshrouded  woman,”  48 
Equatorial  temperature,  25,  26 
Ercilla,  Alonzo  de,  epic  poem  of, 
295,  319,  323-325 
Errazuriz,  Crescente,  296 
Eucalyptus  tree,  175 
Eyzaguire,  Ignacio  Gonzalez,  Arch- 
bishop, 293,  294;  journalistic 
work  of,  294 

Fagnano,  Monsignore,  431 
Falkner,  Thomas,  quoted,  180 
Falucho,  monument  to,  in  Buenos 
Aires,  151 

Farquhar,  Percival,  66,  105 

4 


INDEX 


Fawcett,  P.  H.  Major,  quoted,  486 
{note) 

Feudalism  in  Chile,  308-310 
Fiala,  Anthony,  11,  12,  14,  17,  IS, 
428 

Fidelis,  Reverend  Fr.,  157,  158 
“Finger  of  God,”  mountain,  50 
Fishing  in  Paraguay  River,  417,  418 
Flores  de  Leon,  Diego,  347,  350,  353, 
357 

Flowers,  of  Argentina,  155,  156;  of 
Rio  de  Janeiro,  69,  70;  of  Uru- 
guay, 129,  139,  140 
Fonck,  Francisco,  350,  351,  352 
Fonseca,  Joao  Saveriano  da,  quot- 
ed, 460 

Foreign  capital,  in  Argentina,  170; 
in  Brazil,  65,  66 

Forests,  of  Brazil,  74,  106, 107,  464- 
471,  477,  478;  of  Brazil,  animal 
life  of,  452,  453,  465,  466;  of 
Brazil,  travel  in,  473,  475;  of 
Chile,  334,  349 

Fossils  of  animals  in  Argentina, 
177,  178,  383 

Francia,  Dr.  Rodriguez,  Jose  Gas- 
par,  391,  410,  411 
Franciscan  College  of  Sao  Luiz, 
455,  456 

Franciscans,  in  Argentina,  220,  233, 
258;  in  Brazil,  97,  455-458,  482; 
in  Chile,  327,  348,  350,  351,  359 ; 
in  the  Chaco,  425-427 ; mission- 
ary work  of,  394 

French,  in  Brazil,  72;  in  Buenos 
Aires,  170;  in  Valparaiso,  300 
French  nuns  in  South  Ameiica,  338, 
339,  457 

Frio  Lake,  mountain  scenery 
around,  348 
Frontin,  Paulo,  62 
Funes,  Gregorio,  233;  Argentine 

5 


constitution  drafted  by,  236 ; legal 
eminence  of,  in  Spain,  234;  on 
mission  Indians  of  Paraguay, 
398;  statue  of,  in  Cordoba,  238; 
university  work  of,  235 
Fur  seal  in  Uruguay,  130,  131 


Gama,  Don  Domicio  da,  43 
Gai-ay,  Juan  de,  146,  147  {note), 
150,  229 

Garden  of  Eden,  locations  of,  168, 
383,  384 

Gaucho,  living  conditions  of,  191 
Gaucho  songs,  192-194 
Gauchos,  of  Argentina,  175,  191, 
196;  of  Brazil,  117,  118;  of  Uru- 
guay, 129,  130 
Gavea  Mountain,  48 
Geology  of  Andes  Mountains,  269; 

of  Pampean  deserts,  225 
Gennan  military  system  in  South 
America,  313 

“German  peril”  agitation  in  Brazil, 
120,  121,  123 

Germans,  in  Brazil,  108,  119,  120- 
122;  in  Buenos  Aires,  170;  in 
southern  Chile,  326,  331-337,  342 ; 
in  Valparaiso,  300,  301 
Germany  and  South  America,  36, 
37,  45,  46,  120,  121,  123,  301-303 
Gil  y Lemus,  Francisco,  359 
Gilded  Man  of  Lake  Guatavita,  447 
Glaciers  of  Tronador,  344-346 
Gobernador  Island,  49 
Gold,  search  for,  in  South  America, 
95-98,  361,  362,  446-448,  484 
Golden  City  of  Manoa  in  Guiana, 
447 

Gorgas,  Colonel,  63 
Government  changes  in  Brazil,  72, 
73 
5 


INDEX 


Government  factions  in  Uruguay, 
142 

Goyaz,  Paulista  exploration  of,  95 
Graaff,  Johannes  de,  22 
Grain.  See  Cereals 
Gran  Chaco,  extent  of,  424;  Indians 
of,  425-427;  missionary  work  in, 
425-427 

Gran  Paititi,  390 
Grela,  Ignacio,  218 
Groussac,  Pablo,  204,  248 
Guanabara  Bay,  49-52 
Guanabara  Palace,  53 
Guanaco,  376,  377 
Guapay  River,  early  exploration  of, 
441-445 

Guapore  River,  96,  460 
Guarani  Indians,  393;  in  Asuncion, 
409;  under  Jesuit  rule,  397-400 
Guevara,  Jose,  quoted,  448 
Guillelmo,  Padre,  369 

Half  breeds,  in  Argentina,  205;  in 
Brazil,  39-43,  85,  95,  98;  in  Brazil, 
Jesuit  mission  to,  83-85;  in  Para- 
guay, 409 

Hamilton,  Alexander,  22 
Harper,  Frank,  14,  17,  18,  417,  418 
Hawkins,  Sir  Richard,  299 
Headball,  Indian  game  of,  497,  498 
Herva  tree,  112,  113 
Hidden  Water,  49 
Hides,  use  of,  in  Argentina,  181, 182 
“Historia  Naturalis  Palmarum,”  467 
“Home  of  Birds  and  Palms,”  poem, 
471 

Horses,  in  Argentina,  180,  181,  183, 
184;  in  Uruguay,  137 
Huiracocha,  Chief,  203 
Humboldt,  Alexander  von,  288,  392 
483 


Humming-bird,  452 
Hunting  expeditions  of  Roosevelt 
party,  438,  462,  463 
Hutten,  Philip  von,  96 


Igi-eja  de  Sao  Sebastiao  Church,  in 
Bahia,  67 

Immigrant  population,  of  Argen- 
tina, 169,  170,  186,  189,  190,  378 ; 
of  Brazil,  92,  93,  107-109;  of 
Chile,  326,  331-337,  341,  342 

Incas,  21 

Incas,  ancient  empire  of,  202-204, 
311,  312 

Independence,  Hall  of,  in  Tucuman, 
214,  215 

Independence,  War  of.  See  War  of 
Independence 

Indian  labor  in  Chile,  307-311 

Indian  languages,  84,  202,  426,  427 

Indian  wars  in  Chile,  317-322,  324, 
325 

Indians  of  Argentina,  ancient  civil- 
ization of,  202-204;  increase  of 
population  of,  202,  205 

Indians  of  Brazil,  39,  40,  41,  496- 
500;  headball  game  of,  497,  498; 
Jesuit  missionary  work  among, 
83-85;  production  of  mate  by, 
112-114 ; S a le  s i a n missionary 
work  among,  432,  433 ; slavery  of, 
97,  395,  484-486;  use  of  palm  by, 
468,  469 

Indians  of  Paraguay,  advancement 
of,  under  Jesuit  rule,  399,  400; 
expert  printing  of,  396,  397 ; mis- 
sionary work  among,  394-396 

Indians  of  Patagonia,  376,  377; 
mission  to,  369 

Indians  of  Tierra  del  Fuego,  Sale- 
sian  mission  to,  430-432 


516 


INDEX 


Institute  Oswaldo  Cruz  in  Bahia, 
64,  65 

Institute  Serumtherapico  of  Butan- 
tan  in  Sao  Paulo,  86,  87 
Irala,  Domingo  de,  95,  149,  441,  442 
Iron  mountain  in  Chile,  303 
Irrigation  in  Argentina,  225,  245, 
379,  380 

Italians,  in  Mendoza,  252 ; in  Buenos 
Aires,  169;  in  Sao  Paulo,  92,  93 
Ixtaccihuatl  Mountain,  48 

Jabiru  stork,  452 
Jacaranda  tree,  155,  207 
Jacares,  423 

Japanese  in  South  America,  6,  7 
Jesuits,  in  the  Andes,  350,  357;  in 
Argentina,  393-406 ; in  Brazil,  83- 
85,  97,  482;  in  the  Chaco,  425;  in 
Paraguay,  393-406 
Jivaro  Indians,  432 
Joao  VI,  Dom,  of  Brazil,  72 
Jungle,  medical  practice  in  the,  498- 
500;  travel  through  the,  474,  475; 
vegetation  in  the,  477,  478 


Koemer,  General,  314 


La  Amortahada,  48 
“La  Araucana,”  poem,  295,  319-325, 
329,  330 

La  Aurora,  newspaper,  295 
Labarden,  Manuel  Jose  de,  423 
La  Gasca,  441 

Laguna  de  los  Xarayes,  446-448 
Land  owners,  in  Argentina,  189, 
190,  375;  in  Chile,  292 
Land-owning  class  in  South  Amer- 
ica, effect  on  democracy  of,  298 

5 


La  Piedade  Church  in  Bahia,  34 
La  Plata,  Museum  of,  177 
La  Recoleta  Cemetery,  Buenos 
Aires,  151,  152 
Lasagna,  Bishop,  433 
Las  Casas,  Bishop,  394 
La  Union,  newspaper,  294 
Lautaro,  Chief,  317,  320;  military 
genius  of,  320 

Lava  beds  of  Mendoza  Valley,  269 
Lemco  and  Oxo  Company  in  Uru- 
guay, 134,  135 
Leon,  Cieza  de,  296,  487 
Liebig,  Justus  von,  134,  135 
Lima,  Manoel  Felix  de,  460,  482 
Lima,  University  of,  67 
Literature  in  Brazil,  69,  84 
Llanquihue,  Lake,  mountain  scenery 
around,  339,  340 
Lobos  Islands,  fur  seals  at,  131 
Locusts  in  Argentina,  188,  189 
Lopez,  Carlos  Antonio,  411,  487 
Lopez,  Francisco  Solano,  411,  412 
Lopez,  Gaspar,  Padre,  369 
Los  Patos  Pass  in  the  Andes,  262- 
264 

Lulu  Indians,  202-204 
Lumber  industry  in  Chile,  334 
Lyceum  of  Arts  and  Trades  in 
Bahia,  35 


Machinery,  in  Argentine  sugar  in- 
dustry, 209;  for  wine-making  in 
Mendoza,  251 

Mackenna,  B.  Vicuna,  296,  355,  363 
Mackenzie,  Murdo,  110 
Mackenzie,  Sir  William,  65 
Madeira  River,  96,  460 
Mae  d’Agua  of  Brazil,  450 
Magalhaes,  Amilcar  de,  Captain, 
476 

.7 


INDEX 


Magellan,  71 
Maipo,  Battle  of,  272 
Mamelucos,  40,  85,  95;  explorations 
of,  95-97 ; J esuit  work  among,  83- 
85;  slave  raids  of,  97,  395,  405, 
484,  485 

Mamore  River,  96,  460 
Mangue  Canal,  in  Rio  de  Janeiro, 
56,  57 

Mansvelt,  21 

Manto  headdress  for  women  in  San- 
tiago, 291,  292 
Manuela  la  Tucumana,  212 
Mapuches,  317 

Maria  Ausiliatrice,  Sisters  of,  429, 
435-437 ; in  Brazil,  433,  436 ; in 
Tierra  del  Fuego,  431 
Marques,  Dr.  Joaquin  A.  da  Costa, 
439 

Marquette,  440 
Martinique,  20,  23 
Martius,  Karl  Friedrich  von,  467 
Mascardi,  Nicolas,  350,  357,  358, 
362 

Mataquito,  Battle  of,  321 
Mate,  food  value  of,  115-117 
Mate  industry,  in  Brazil,  111-115; 
in  Paraguay,  421 

Matto  Grosso,  Catholicism  in,  455- 
457 ; Indians  of,  432,  433 ; mis- 
sionary exploration  of,  481-487 ; 
Paulista  exploration  of,  96;  slav- 
ery in,  484,  485 
Maule  River,  311,  317 
Medical  practice  in  the  Brazilian 
jungle,  498-500 

Medical  research  in  Sao  Paulo,  86, 
87 

Medicine,  Academy  of,  in  Bahia,  35 
Medicine,  School  of,  in  Montevideo, 
138 

Medina,  Toribio,  296 

5 


Medrano,  96,  97 
Meiggs,  Henry,  300 
Mendoza,  173,  246;  earthquake  in, 
246-249;  education  in,  249,  250; 
public  park  of,  249;  San  Martin 
in,  256,  260,  261;  vineyards  of, 
250,  251 

Mendoza,  Garcia  de,  246 
Mendoza,  Pedro  de,  146,  149,  180, 
428,  501;  exploration  of  Parana 
River  by,  389,  390 
Menendez,  Francisco,  348,  350,  352, 
359,  371,  372;  “Diarios”  of,  351, 
371 

Menendez  y Pelayo,  M.,  quoted,  296 
Mercederians  in  Argentina,  220 
Mestizos,  40,  98,  205,  409 
Metal  work,  ancient  Indian,  204 
Middle  class,  need  of,  in  South 
America,  298 
Millalelmo,  Chief,  318 
Miller,  Leo,  12,  24,  25,  428 
Minas  Geraes,  Paulista  exploration 
of,  95 

Missionaries  in  South  America,  ex- 
plorations of,  350,  357-359,  362, 
370,  483-488;  literary  work  of, 
96,  97,  370-372,  397,  404,  405, 
487,  488 

Missionary  work  in  the  Andes,  350, 
351,  357-359;  in  Brazil,  83-85, 
432,  433,  482,  487,  488;  in  Ecua- 
dor, 432;  among  the  Guarani  In- 
dians, 393-406;  in  Paraguay,  394- 
400 ; in  Tierra  del  Fuego,  431, 
432 ; among  the  Toba  Indians, 
425-427 

Misti,  volcano,  48 
Mitre,  Bartolome,  214 
Molina,  Dr.  Jose  Augustin,  216,  296 
Monroe  Doctrine,  Roosevelt  on,  142- 
144 

.8 


INDEX 


Montevideo,  Atheneum  in,  138,  141 ; 
charitable  institutions  of,  138, 
139;  Botanical  Gardens  of,  139, 
140 ; modern  buildings  of,  138, 
139 ; population  of,  140 ; rapid 
progress  of,  140 ; reception  of  our 
party  in,  138,  142-145 ; schools 
in,  138;  Salesian  convent  in,  138; 
Solis  Theater  in,  141;  University 
of,  138;  Whites  and  Reds  in,  142 
Montoya,  Ruiz  de,  leadership  of 
mission  Indians  by,  405,  406; 
works  of,  404;  woi'ks  of,  printed 
by  Guarani  Indians,  397 
Monuments  to  South  American 
heroes,  152,  153,  158,  238,  256, 
262,  273 

Moreno,  Dr.  Francisco,  342,  352 
Morgan,  21 

Morro  Escalvado,  mountain,  453 
Morungava,  cattle  ranch  at,  110,  111 
Mosquitoes,  extermination  of,  in  Rio 
de  Janeiro,  63 

Mountain  scenery,  around  Rio  de 
Janeiro,  47-51,  70-79;  around 
Santiago,  285,  286;  of  southern 
Chile,  340-346,  363 
Moxo  Indians,  485 
Mucury  Indians,  485 
Muiscas,  21 
Mulattoes  in  Brazil,  39 
Muller,  Dr.  Lauro,  62,  65,  121,  419 
Mussurama  snake,  usefulness  of,  88, 
89 

Musters,  George  C.,  362 
Mutton  production,  in  Argentina, 
185;  in  Uruguay,  137 
“Mystery  of  the  Strait,”  21,  71 

Nahuelhuapi  Lake,  Indians  of,  369, 
377 ; Jesuit  mission  on,  357,  359 ; 


mountain  scenery  around,  350, 
367 

Naval  development,  of  Argentina, 
381 ; of  Chile,  312 
Negroes  in  Brazil,  39,  42,  57,  58 
Nevis  Island,  22 
Neuquen,  town  of,  381 
New  Granada,  3 
Nichteroy,  town  of,  49,  52 
Nitrate,  production  of,  in  Chile,  331 
Nordenskjold,  Otto,  177,  432 
Nossa  Senhora  da  Boa  Yiagem 
chapel,  in  Rio  de  Janeiro,  67 
Nossa  Senhora  da  Victoria  Church, 
in  Bahia,  34 

Nunez,  Cabeza  de  Vaca,  Alvar,  2,  3, 
149,  410,  441,  501;  church  erected 
by,  445;  “Commentaries”  of,  445, 
446 

Nyoac,  steamboat,  419 


Obra  Conservacion  de  la  Fe,  in 
Buenos  Aires,  162 
O’Brien,  George,  Captain,  312 
O’Higgins,  Ambrosio,  307 
O’Higgins,  Bernardo,  262,  263, 

273 

Olivares,  296 
Omagua  Indians,  393 
Orellana,  Francisco  de,  27,  96,  501 
Organ  Mountains,  50,  51 
Oribe,  General,  142 
Oriole  birds,  465,  466 
Oro,  Justo  de  Santa  Maria  de, 
218 

Osorno,  volcano,  340-345,  364 
Our  Lady  of  Carmel  in  Chile,  314, 
315 

Our  Lady  of  Mercy,  in  Mendoza, 
260,  261;  in  Tucuman,  213,  214 
Ovalle,  Alonso  de,  296 


519 


INDEX 


Pacific  Steam  Navigation  Company, 
300 

Padilla,  Sr.  D.  Ernesto,  209 
Page,  Thomas  Jefferson,  Captain, 
461,  465 

Paleologus,  Fernando,  24 
Palm,  symbolism  of  the,  470 
Palms  of  Brazil,  464-466;  number 
of  species  of,  466,  467 ; varied 
uses  of,  468,  469 

Palermo,  Park  of,  in  Buenos  Aires, 
153-155 

Palo  Santa  tree,  155 
Pampa,  animals  of  Argentine,  176- 
178,  383;  arid  regions  on,  175, 
224,  225;  cattle  ranches  on,  181, 
185 ; cultivation  of,  186,  187 ; 
droughts  on,  188;  early  Spanish 
colonization  on,  179;  early  Span- 
ish trade  route  across,  240 ; extent 
of,  174;  fertility  of  soil  on,  175, 
176,  179,  182,  184,  187,  188; 
Gauchos  of  Argentine,  175,  191; 
horses  on,  180,  181,  183,  184;  im- 
migrant population  of,  186,  189, 
190;  locust  plagues  on,  188,  189; 
plant  life  on,  175,  176;  railroads 
on,  186 ; sheep-raising  on,  182, 
184;  see  also  Argentina,  Pata- 
gonia 

Panama  Canal,  effect  of,  on  South 
American  commerce,  303,  304; 
speech  on,  by  Roosevelt  in  San- 
tiago, 280-282 
Pao  d’Assucar,  47,  48,  70 
Papagaio  River,  falls  of,  494-496 
Paqueta  Island,  49 
Paraguayan  tea,  111-117 
Parana,  immigrant  population  of, 
107-109;  production  of  mate  in, 
111,  115;  subtropical  climate  of, 
105-107 


Parana  River,  exploration  of,  388, 
403;  scenery  on  banks  of,  386, 
387 

Paraguay,  dictators  of,  410-412 ; 
education  in,  413,  429,  434,  435; 
expulsion  of  Jesuits  from,  401, 
402;  increase  of  Indian  popula- 
tion in,  399;  mission  colonies  of, 
394-400 ; mixed  population  of, 
409,  421 

Paraguay  River,  alligators  of,  423; 
cruise  up  the,  414-416;  early  ex- 
ploration of,  428,  441-445,  448; 
early  exploration  of,  accounts  of, 
442-445 ; fishing  in,  417 ; Gran 
Chaco  on,  424;  living  conditions 
along,  421,  422,  439;  scenery  of, 
420,  421;  scenery  of,  at  night, 
448-451 

Parecis  Indians,  484,  496-500 
Passionists  in  South  America,  157, 
158 

Passos,  Dr.  Pareira,  62 
Patagonia,  game  in,  376;  Indians 
of,  376,  377;  Indians  of,  mission- 
ary work  among,  369;  national 
park  project  in,  368;  scenery  of, 
375,  376;  travel  conditions  in, 
374;  see  also  Argentina,  Pampa 
Paulistas,  early  explorations  of,  95- 
97,  483;  industrial  progress  of, 
40,  85,  98-102 ; slave  raids  of,  485, 
486 

Paz,  Jose  Maria,  234 
Pearson,  F.  S.,  66 
Peccaries,  462 

Pedro  II,  Dom,  of  Brazil,  42,  43,  72 
Pelee,  volcano,  20 
Penitentes,  peaks,  269 
Peons  in  Chile,  292 
Pereira,  Duarte  Coelho,  quoted,  51, 
52 


520 


INDEX 


Perez  Rosales  Pass  in  the  Andes, 
347 

Pernambuco,  city  of,  52 
Piauhi,  Paulista  exploration  of,  96 
Pichincha,  Battle  of,  273 
Piranha  fish,  417,  418 
Pizarro,  Francisco,  3,  21,  226 
Plant  life,  in  Brazilian  jungle,  477, 
478;  on  Pampa,  175,  176 
Plaza,  Nicanor,  284 
Poles  in  Brazil,  107,  108 
Portenos,  153 

Porto  Alegre,  German  settlement  of, 
118-120,  122 

Porto  do  Campo,  village,  461-466 
Porto  Seguro,  39 
Potato  cultivation  in  Chile,  307 
Pottery,  ancient  Indian,  204 
Poya  Indians,  369,  377 
Prado,  Joao  Leme  do,  479-481 
Printing  in  Paraguayan  missions, 
396,  397 

Puelche  Indians,  369,  377 
Puerto  Militar,  381 
Puerto  Murtinho,  421 
Puerto  Yaras,  convent  school  in, 
338;  German  breakfast  to  our 
party  in,  336-339 

Pueyrredon,  Juan  Martin,  271,  414 
{note) 

Puntiagudo  Mountain,  344 
Putumayo  Indians,  486  {note) 

Quebracho  tree,  155 
Quesada,  Gonsalo  Ximenes  de,  3,  21, 
96,  226 

Quiehua  language  in  Argentina, 

202 

Quinta  Normal  Park  in  Santiago, 
282 

Quiroga,  dictator,  412 


Quito,  Paulistas  in,  96;  University 
of,  67 


Race  mixture  in  Brazil,  39-43,  85, 
95,  98 

Racial  differences  in  northern  and 
southern  Brazil,  108 
Railways,  in  Argentina,  186,  200, 
381;  in  Brazil,  66,  101,  104,  105, 
122;  in  Chile,  300;  in  Paraguay, 
413;  in  Uruguay,  126,  127 
Rainfall  in  Chile,  275 
Rainy  season,  in  Paraguay,  421, 
443;  on  the  Pampa,  225,  240; 
travel  during,  in  Brazil,  458,  459 
Raposo,  Antonio,  96 
Reductions  of  Paraguay,  advance- 
ment of  Indians  in,  395-400; 
foundation  and  object  of,  394; 
Mameluco  attacks  on,  97,  395, 
405,  485 

Religious  orders,  schools  of,  in 
Buenos  Aires,  160 
Religious  spirit  in  South  American 
armies,  213,  214,  259-261,  314 
Republican  government  in  South 
America,  218,  413;  abuse  of,  412, 
413 

Rhea  bird,  130,  131,  177 
Rice  production  in  Brazil,  101 
Rio  de  Janeiro,  Botanical  Gardens 
of,  69,  70;  butterflies  of,  75; 
churches  in,  66,  67 ; city  improve- 
ments of,  61,  63-65;  commercial 
development  of,  52,  65,  66 ; docks 
of,  60,  61;  electric  power  in,  65, 
66;  fortifications  of,  49,  71,  72; 
harbor  of,  51,  52;  mountain  scen- 
ery of,  47-51,  70-79;  origin  of 
name  of,  49 ; population  of,  57, 
58 ; reception  of  our  party  in,  53, 


521 


INDEX 


54;  sanitation  in,  61-63;  schools 
in,  67 ; streets  of,  54-60 ; yellow 
fever  in,  61,  62 
Rio  de  la  Plata,  146,  147 
Rio  de  Mendoza  valley,  269 
Rio  Grande  do  Sul,  cattle  fanning 
methods  in,  110,  111 ; horsemen 
of,  117,  118;  immigrant  popula- 
tion of,  106-109 ; production  of 
mate  in,  111;  subtropical  climate 
of,  105-107 

Rio  Maule,  in  Chile,  311,  317 
Riquelme,  cruiser,  414 
Rivadavia,  161,  391 
River  of  Doubt,  420 
Rivera,  town  of,  125,  126 
Rivera,  General,  142 
Rivers  of  Brazil,  exploration  of,  27, 
96,  459-461,  482,  484 
Rodrigues,  Barbosa,  467 
Rodriguez,  Jose  Gaspar,  391,  410, 
411 

Rojas,  Diego  de,  226 
“Roman  Peace”  of  Spanish  rule, 
243 

Rondeau,  General,  256 
Rondon,  Colonel  Candido  Mariano 
da  Silva,  419 
Roosevelt,  Kermit,  46 
“Roosevelt  South  American  Scien- 
tific Expedition,”  15;  see  also 
South  American  Expedition 
Roosevelt,  Theodore,  4-7 ; apprecia- 
tion of  General  San  Martin  by, 
152,  153;  hunting  expeditions  of, 
438,  462,  463 ; on  Monroe  Doc- 
trine, in  Montevideo,  142,  143, 
144;  on  Panama  Canal,  in  San- 
tiago, 280-282;  on  reading,  16,  17 
Rosas,  dictator,  412 
Rosales,  Diego  de,  296,  349,  350, 
356,  357 


Rosario,  164,  173,  200;  size  and 
commercial  importance  of,  201 
Rotos,  292,  331 

Rua  do  Ouvidor,  in  Rio  de  Janeiro, 
55,  56 

Rubber  production  in  Brazil,  101 
Rubber  production  in  Bolivar, 
abuses  of,  486  (note) 

Sa,  Estacio  de,  67,  71 
Sa,  Mem  de,  67 

Saavedra,  Hernando  Arias  de,  132, 
394 

Sacred  Heart  schools  in  Santiago, 
290,  291 

St.  Eustatius  Island,  22 
St.  Francis  de  Sales,  Society  of, 
foundation  of,  430;  see  also  Sale- 
sian  fathers 

St.  John  of  God,  priests  of,  in  Ar- 
gentina, 220 

St.  Joseph  of  Chambery,  Sisters  of, 
92 

St.  Raphael,  Salesian  mission  at, 

431 

St.  Vincent  Island,  20 
Salavarrieta,  Policarpa,  212 
Salesian  convent  in  Montevideo, 
138 

Salesian  fathers,  in  Brazil,  432, 
433;  in  Colombia,  434;  in  Ecua- 
dor, 432;  educational  work  of, 
433-437;  in  Tierra  del  Fuego,  431, 

432 

Salesian  schools  in  Corumba,  429, 
434,  435 

Salesian  trade  school  in  Bahia, 
35 

Salines  of  Argentina,  225 
Salto  Bello  Falls,  493 
San  Christobal,  hill,  285 


522 


INDEX 


San  Francisco,  Church  of,  in  Men- 
doza, 261 

San  Marcos,  University  of,  in  Lima, 
67 

San  Martin,  Jose  de,  152,  153,  213, 
238,  255,  273 ; birthplace  of,  391 ; 
Chilean  campaign  of,  263,  272, 
273;  in  Mendoza,  256,  260,  261; 
monument  to,  in  Buenos  Aires, 
152,  153,  262;  monument  to,  in 
Mendoza,  256 ; organization  of 
patriot  army  by,  254-259 ; pas- 
sage of  the  Andes  by,  262,  263, 
271-273 

San  Miguel  de  Tucuman.  See  Tu- 
cuman 

Santa  Anna  do  Livramento,  125, 
126 

Santa  Casa  da  Misericordia  Hospi- 
tal, in  Sao  Paulo,  92 

Santa  Catharina,  immigrant  popu- 
lation of,  107-109;  mate  produc- 
tion in,  111;  subtropical  climate 
of,  105-107 

Santa  Clara  Island,  48 

Santa  Cruz,  39 

Santa  Fe,  foundation  of,  229 

Santa  Lucia,  hill,  in  Santiago,  279, 
283-286 

Santa  Maria  de  Buenos  Aires.  See 
Buenos  Aires 

Santiago,  earthquakes  in,  280;  fine 
architecture  of,  279,  280,  282; 
foundation  of,  278 ; pleasure 
grounds  of,  282-286 ; Roosevelt 
in,  280-282;  scenery  around,  285, 
286;  schools  in,  287-291;  strong 
position  of,  279;  University  of, 
67,  287 

Santiago  del  Estero,  201,  202 

Santo  Domingo  Church  in  Buenos 
Aires,  158 


Santo  Domingo  Church  in  Cordoba, 
230 

Santos,  yellow  fever  in,  101 
Sao  Bento  College  in  Sao  Paulo,  90, 
91 

Sao  Francisco  Church  in  Bahia,  35 
Sao  Joao,  fazenda,  440 
Sao  Lowrengo  River,  440,  441 
Sao  Luiz  de  Caceres,  Franciscan  col- 
lege at,  455,  456;  French  nuns 
in,  457 ; reception  at,  454 ; schools 
in,  455-457 

Sao  Paulo,  architectural  beauty  of, 
85,  86,  89,  90 ; Benedictine  college 
in,  90,  91;  charitable  institutions 
of,  92;  coffee  culture  in,  99,  100; 
education  in,  90-92;  foreign  pop- 
ulation of,  89,  90,  92,  93;  growth 
and  prosperity  of,  94,  95;  in- 
crease of  population  in,  94;  Jes- 
uit college  in,  83,  84;  medical  re- 
search in,  86,  87 
Sao  Salvador.  See  Bahia. 

Sao  Sebastiao.  See  Rio  de  Janeiro. 
Sarcabana,  weapon,  468 
Sarsfield  Dalmacio  Velez,  234 
Savoy  Hotel  in  Tucuman,  207 
Scenery  in  South  America,  1,  2,  5, 
363,  364 

Schaerer,  Eduardo,  414 
Schmidt,  Ulric,  441-444 
Schools,  in  Bahia,  35 ; in  Buenos 
Aires,  159,  160-164;  in  Cordoba, 
231-235;  in  Mendoza,  249,  250; 
in  Montevideo,  138;  in  Rio  de 
Janeiro,  67,  68;  in  Sao  Luiz  de 
Caceres,  455-457 ; in  Santiago, 
287-291 

Schwab,  Charles  M.,  303,  304,  381 
Scientific  interest  of  South  Amer- 
ica, 4,  5,  177,  178,  351,  383,  391, 
392,  420 


523 


INDEX 


Sepotuba  River,  460,  463;  palm 
trees  along,  464-471 ; scenery 
along  the,  464-466 
Sepp,  Anthony,  quoted,  180  (note) 
Serra  Azul  Mountains,  454 
Serra  dos  Orgaos,  50,  51 
Sertao  of  Brazil,  479-481;  explora- 
tion of,  482,  484 

“Serturn  Palmarum  Brasiliensium,” 
468 

Sheep-raising,  in  Argentina,  182, 
184;  in  Uruguay,  137 
Sigg,  Jacob,  13,  14,  18,  428;  medi- 
cal work  of,  498-500;  usefulness 
of,  463 

Silveira,  Francisco  Berquo  de,  55 
Sipe-Sipe,  Battle  of,  254,  255 
Skunk,  224 

Sky  scenery  on  Paraguay  River, 
448-451 

Slave-dealing  in  Brazil,  97,  395, 
484-486 

“Sleeping  Giant,”  48,  49 
Sloth,  453 
Snake  birds,  452 

Snake-bites,  treatment  for, in  Brazil, 
87,  88 

Sociedad  de  Benefieencia,  in  Buenos 
Aires,  161 

Sociology,  study  of,  in  Chile,  293 
Solano,  San  Francisco,  425 
Solis,  Juan  Diaz  de,  149,  388,  501 
Soufriere,  20 
Sousa,  Thome  de,  33 
South  America,  land  owners  in,  298 ; 
conquistadores  in,  2,  3,  21,  22, 
361,  362,  370,  501;  Dominican 
missions  in,  394;  Franciscan  mis- 
sions in,  394;  French  nuns  in, 
338,  339,  457 ; Maria  Ausiliatrice 
Sisters  in,  437 ; missionary  ex- 
ploration of,  350,  357-359,  362, 


370,  483-488;  Salesian  fathers  in, 
436,  437 ; scientific  interest  of,  4, 
5,  177,  178,  351,  383,  391,  392, 
420 ; travel  conditions  in,  66,  104, 
105,  200,  300,  342,  348,  385,  386 ; 
war  of  independence  in,  see  War 
of  Independence 

South  American  commerce,  28,  29, 
36,  37,  45,  46,  52,  53,  164,  170, 
301-305,  381,  382;  early  Spanish 
monopoly  of,  238;  effect  of  Pan- 
ama Canal  on,  303,  304 ; early 
Spanish  route  for,  239,  240 

South  American  Expedition,  animal 
collecting  of,  428,  438,  462,  473; 
books  and  reading  of,  16-19 ; 
equipment  for,  11-13,  18;  itin- 
erary for,  103,  104,  173,  385 ; 
organized,  8-14 

South  American  literature,  value  of 
missionary  records  to,  370-372, 
397,  404,  405,  488,  489 

South  American  opinion  on  Roose- 
velt, 6,  7 

South  American  patriots,  treatment 
accorded  to,  273 

South  American  revolutions,  bad  ef- 
fect of,  412,  413 

South  American  scenery,  1,  2,  5, 
363,  364 

Spaniards  in  Buenos  Aires,  169, 170 

Spanish  colonial  policy  in  South 
America,  238-243 

Spanish  conquistadores  in  South 
America.  See  Conquistadores 

Statia  Island,  22 

Steamship  lines  in  Chile,  300 

Stock  farms,  in  Argentina,  180-184 ; 
in  Brazil,  110;  in  Uruguay,  131- 
136 

Storms,  Araucanian  belief  concern- 
ing, 318,  319 


524 


INDEX 


Sugar  industry,  in  Argentina,  209; 
in  Brazil,  36 

Sugar  Loaf  Mountain,  47,  48;  pic- 
nic on,  70,  71 

Swiss  colonists  in  Uruguay,  136,  137 


Talcahuano,  naval  school  at,  312 

Tapajos  River,  460 

Tapir,  453,  462 

Tapirapuhan  village,  472 

Taylor,  Hugh,  105 

Teatro  Colon  in  Buenos  Aires,  166; 

banquet  to  our  party  in,  170 
Tecliado  Mountain,  344,  346 
Temperature  at  the  equator,  25,  26 
Termite  ants,  488,  491,  492 
Texeira,  96 

Thayer-Ojeda,  Tomas,  296 
Thays,  M.,  151,  153,  156 
Tierra  del  Fuego,  Salesian  fathers 
in,  430-432 

Tijuca  Mountain,  50,  51 ; ascent  of, 
74,  77 

Timber  production,  in  Brazil,  106; 

in  Chile,  334 
Tipa  tree,  155 
Toba  Indians,  424,  425 
Tobacco,  exportation  of,  from 
Brazil,  36;  production  of,  in 
Brazil,  101 

Todos  los  Santos  Lake,  mountain 
scenery  around,  343-346 
Toribio,  Santo,  Bishop,  394 
Travel  conditions  in  the  Andes,  342, 
348,  349;  in  Argentina,  200,  385, 
386;  in  Brazil,  104, 105,  474,  475; 
in  Chile,  300,  342;  in  Uruguay, 
126,  127 

Trejo  y Sanabria,  Fernando  de, 
Bishop,  233,  394 

Trees,  of  Argentina,  155,  156;  of 


Brazil,  69,  70,  106,  107,  464,  465- 
471 ; of  Brazil,  dense  growth  of, 
in  jungle,  477,  478;  giant  size  of, 
in  the  Andes,  349 
Tronador  Mountain,  344-346,  364 
Tropical  birds,  465,  466 
Tucuman,  173,  174,  200;  agricul- 
tural college  in,  210,  211 ; ancient 
Indian  civilization  in,  202-204; 
Battle  of,  212,  213;  colonial  and 
modem  buildings  of,  205-207 ; 
commerce  of,  under  Spanish  rule, 
240;  congress  of,  214-220,  236; 
conquistadores  in,  229;  founda- 
tion of,  211 ; fruit-growing  in, 
210 ; increase  of  native  popula- 
tion in,  205;  living  conditions  in, 
209,  210;  scenery  around,  207, 
208;  sugar  industry  in,  208 
Tufa  beds  of  Rio  de  Mendoza  val- 
ley, 269 

Tupi  Indians,  393 

Tupi  language,  Jesuit  work  on,  84 

Turks  in  Patagonia,  378 

United  Provinces  of  Rio  de  la  Plata, 
congress  of,  214-220,  236 ; see 
also  War  of  Independence 
Universities  of  South  America,  67, 
138,  159,  232-235,  287 
Urucumacuan,  gold  mines  of,  484 
Uruguay,  absence  of  Indians  in, 
130;  agriculture  in,  131;  animals 
of,  130,  131;  beef  industries  in, 
134-136;  cattle  farming  in,  131- 
136 ; flowers  of,  129 ; Gauchos 
of,  129,  130 ; horses  of,  137 ; liv- 
ing conditions  in,  127,  128;  mut- 
ton production  in,  137 ; popula- 
tion of,  127,  128;  prairie  lands 
of,  127 ; sheep  raising  in,  137 


INDEX 


Uspallata  Pass  in  the  Andes,  257, 
262-264,  267,  268 
Utiarity  village,  493;  Indians  of, 
496-500 

Utiarity  Falls,  494-496 

Valdivia,  Germans  in,  332 
Valdivia,  Pedro  de,  2,  3,  226,  229; 
cities  founded  by,  317 ; invasion 
of  Chile  by,  276-278,  317-322,  324, 
325;  statue  of,  in  Santiago,  284 
Valley  of  Eden  in  Uruguay,  128, 
129 

Valparaiso,  buccaneer  attacks  on, 
299;  commercial  importance  of, 
299,  301,  302;  earthquakes  in, 
299;  foreigners  in,  300 
Value  of  palms  in  Brazil,  468,  469 
Vampire  bats,  473,  474 
Van  Noort,  Oliver,  299 
Vega,  Garcilaso  de  la,  203,  296 
Vergara,  Valdez,  296 
Vespucci,  Amerigo,  31 
Vicuna,  Carlos  Moria,  296 
Vicuna,  376 
Vicuna  wool,  204 
Villegaignon,  Chevalier  de,  71,  72 
Virgin  Mary,  statue  of,  on  San 
Christobal  Hill,  285 
Von  Ihering,  Dr.,  86 


War  of  Independence,  Catholic 
clergy  in,  218-223,  236,  237,  258; 


in  Argentina,  152,  158,  159;  in 
Chile,  263,  272,  273;  passage  of 
the  Andes  in,  262,  263,  271-273; 
women  in,  212,  254,  255 
War  of  the  Triple  Alliance,  411, 
412 

Washington,  George,  24 
West  Indian  scenery,  19,  '20,  22,  23 
Wheat,  exportation  of,  in  Argen- 
tina, 200,  201 

Wheelwright,  William,  monument 
to,  in  Valparaiso,  300 
Wild  tig  vine,  478 
Wine,  production  of,  in  Argentina, 
251,  252;  in  Brazil,  106;  in  Chile, 
306,  307 

“Woman  in  White,”  48 
Women,  in  charitable  work  in 
Buenos  Aires,  161,  162;  in  chari- 
table work  in  Chile,  297 ; in  War 
of  Independence,  212,  254,  255 
Wool  production  in  Uruguay,  137 

Xarque,  production  of,  in  Brazil, 
118 


Yellow  fever  in  Rio  de  Janeiro,  61, 
62;  in  Santos,  101 

Zarate,  Don  Juan  Ortiz  de,  182 
Zoological  Gardens  of  Buenos 
Aires,  156 


(2) 


